Describes and explores the activities of members of a listserv group in their efforts to defend bilingual education in Arizona. Attempts to delineate ways in which such a "virtual" group develops the cohesion it requires to sustain its activities in the absence of direct, face-to-face contact. (Author/VWL)

Describes a study that analyzed 14 electronic lists or newsgroups in library and information science to find out which topics of discussion are dominant and which functions are performed by the messages posted. It also introduced students to this type of professional communication and to content analysis as a research method. Contains 51…

Emoticons are visual cues formed from ordinary typographical symbols that when read sideways represent feelings or emotions. Because the use of electronic mail eliminates the visual cues such as head nodding, facial expressions, posture, and eye contact found in face-to-face conversation, electronic mail users often incorporate emoticons as visual…

Educators need to better understand how Internet discussion boards can be used in their classrooms. The process of trying to learn more about potential efficacy of a merger of two potent education tools (Learning or Literature Circles and online discussion boards) is currently underway. A large research study has been designed to examine the…

Describes participation in scholarly electronic forums, or discussion groups, and discusses the implications of such participation for scholars' social networks. Results of an e-mail survey are discussed, data from listserv archives are examined, and future research is suggested. (Contains nine tables.) (Author/LRW)

Examines the use of chaos theory in modelling time series data generated by computer-mediated communication (CMC). Data generated by CMC discussion groups are examined for the presence of chaotic behavior and to assess the variance which can be accounted for by the deterministic mechanism. (Author/LRW)

Computer mediated communication (CMC) is a widely used communicative tool within various professional and social groups. The focus of the present article is on the Linguist List (LL), which can be described as an edited person-to-group international academic mailing list, and with a particular speech act: a request for information (RFI). Because…

A study of registered nurses participating in an Internet-based cardiac education program included analysis of online discussion forums. Comments about evidence-based theory and discipline-specific wiring indicated that the environment facilitated online scholarly discourse. Interactions provided moral, technical, and academic support to…

Discusses the relationship of gender and discourse types, including epistolary and expository, in computer-mediated communication such as listservs. Describes a study that used transcript analysis to determine whether gender patterns could be detected in an online graduate course and considers the strategic value of discourse styles in group…

Studies the electronic contributions of academic and practitioner public relations professionals on the listserv called PRForum. Examines 200 messages for dialectic interacts (two or more messages on one topic); analyzes further in terms of the applied model of speech act theory. Assesses the impact of language creation via technology, especially…

Reports on a study of 14 master's degree students' online communication patterns when their classroom environment had been expanded electronically through a public listserv for classroom interaction and private e-mail on the Internet. Student attitudes and reactions are described, based on results of questionnaires. (Author/LRW)

Based on a five-year ethnographic study of the activity of an online, international academic community of practice supported by ListServer technology, this article covers selective findings pertaining to patterns of communication deemed crucial to community building. Implications of learning and collegial support are discussed. (Author/AEF)

At Valdosta State University (Georgia), a philosophy course, "A Virtual Classroom: The Electronic Agora," was developed and conducted entirely through computer media. Twenty-one students were in the class. The two main activities, addressing the central objectives of a philosophy course, were: (1) research, and (2) class discussion and…

Online discussions and transcriptions of face-to-face discussions by graduate students (14 online, 14 on campus) were analyzed. Technical support was not available 24 hours a day to online students who were predominantly women. Online discussions were more student-to-student, classroom discussions student-to-teacher. The analysis suggests how…

Presents a content analysis of PUBYAC, an electronic discussion list for Children and Young Adult Services in Public Libraries. Information is provided on the different themes and topics that appear in the list, the lifespan and liveliness of specific discussions, percentage of active participants, and distribution of messages by participant. (AEF)