And these are my research questions as framed in my probationary report…

This research will consider the affordances of asynchronous online communities in higher education, asking how they can be utilised to support rather than to impede learning. It will also examine ways in which learners participate in a virtual environment. The main research questions which will drive the work are:

• How do virtual learning communities support distance learners in the co-construction of knowledge?
• How are self-presentation, identity and community relations implicated in learning online?