Socialising in cyberspace: interpersonal interactions and the social construction of knowledge in online learning environments

Educational institutions throughout the world are currently under considerable pressure to offer courses online. There are areas of existing research outside the specific domain of education which have much to contribute to our understanding of the social interactions which mediate learning within electronic environments. The current emphasis on socially constructivist theories of learning suggests that this is a particularly important aspect of online education, and one which needs to be better understood.