To mediate or not to mediate: the role of the mediator in the online classroom

Sudweeks, F. (2000) To mediate or not to mediate: the role of the mediator in the online classroom. In: WebNet World Conference on the WWW and Internet 2000, 30 October-4 November 2000, San Antonio, Texas.

Abstract

Networked computer media have brought significant changes to pedagogical paradigms. Educational environments, such as WebCT, provide a seamless interface for organising online learning and teaching activities, and virtual spaces for computer-mediated communication and collaboration during the learning process. The rate of diffusion of these new technology-enabled environments in education is so rapid that, quite often, tried-and-tested face-to-face pedagogical paradigms are being thrown out without sufficient and considered evaluation of the novel environments. In this paper, a framework for the analysis and evaluation of online seminars is proposed. The proposed framework is based on a quantitative analysis of participation and a qualitative content analysis.