A Microgenetic Analysis of Classroom Discussion Practices: How Literacy Processes Intermingle in the Negotiation of Meaning in an Online Discussion

Unlike previous research on computer-mediated discussions that has focused analysis on the final conversation as a completed product, this study was focused on the process by which the conversation was created. Using screen-capturing software, the on-screen actions of the nine participants in an online classroom discussion were recorded and analyzed for evidence of reading, writing, and thinking processes. Retrospective interviews were conducted with three of the student participants for additional insights into these processes. A triangulation of data sources revealed participants engaged in at least three distinct patterns of reading, writing, and thinking, with some participants fluidly moving between these patterns throughout the conversation. The three patterns were described as follows: (a) a methodical reading of most messages, and composing of responses occurring as the reader/writer thinks of it; (b) a coordination of reading, thinking, and writing, with careful revisiting of messages already read and deliberate crafting of responses; and (c) a complex orchestration of processes, with several reading resources consulted in addition to the conversation’s unfolding messages as well as composing processes that were interleaved with thinking and reading. This study provides clear evidence that the experiences of individuals in the same online conversation can vary considerably even as they contribute to a co-constructed publicly shared conversation.