About the CRLT The CRLT has as its mission to promote and support a community of scholars dedicated to research on the design, use, and implementation of technology to improve learning. Three primary themes underlie the work at the Center: • research that contributes to the development of new pedagogical models for continuing professional development in the 21st century; • research on and evaluation of interactive distance learning environments that inform our understanding of student learning; and • research on teaching strategies for using current and emerging technologies to support student interaction, collaboration, and engagement in the issues being studied. This report is one of a series from our on-going research on learning and technology. If you have any questions or comments on this report, or if you would like to find out more about the activities of the CRLT, contact:

Interaction amongst learners has been identified as a critical element in the learning process. It has been argued that distance education practice, because of geographical separation and dependence upon media for communication has offered limited opportunity for interpersonal interaction. However, with the aid of recently introduced computer communications, distance learners now have the potential to interact with other learners, wherever they are, and whenever it is convenient. Yet, despite the benefits offered by computer mediated communication, there are reports that many of the learners in computer conferences do not actively participate or participate minimally and that the majority of messages are contributed by a disproportionate few. Two hypotheses to explain this phenomenon have been offered in the literature; the absence of critical nonverbal elements that are found in face to face communication; and a perceived higher standard for the written word than the spoken word. Those factors may lead to communication apprehension and non-participation by certain individuals. This study utilized a single case study research design to investigate the reasons for