Abstract
The present article presents conditions relating to the effective use of text-based computer conferencing for group interaction. More specifically, it discusses ways peers found in order to express themselves as members of on-line groups and if they were able to reach consensus during interaction.
The findings of the research are based on qualitative data gathered during the course of the author's doctorate research. Students from two different courses in the University of Sheffield, with experience of on-line group interaction, were the subjects of the study. 50 semi-structured interviews were the main tool of data collection. A Grounded Theory Approach, as developed by Strauss and Corbin was adopted for the analysis of the interview data. The analysis made also use of the Atlas.ti qualitative data software.
Conditions (such as causes, intervening and contextual conditions, actions and outcomes) that were found to influence the on-line group interaction are presented using the above mode of data explication. A discussion of the findings in relation to the existing literature follows at the end of the paper.
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