Meta-Communication for Reflective Online Conversations

This volume illustrates the diversity of expectations, practices, and challenges of online learning. The editors (at Anadolu U., Turkey) introduce discussions of meta-communication applied to distance learning. Focusing primarily on work from Turkey and the U.S., contributors address issues including how online discussion has become an effective teaching tool in promoting critical thinking skills, a model based on Avatar Manager and Student Reflective Conversations pedagogical theory, barriers to communicating concepts, technology-supported assessment, and collaborative virtual education and research. A contrarian view is that meta-communication in online multicultural teacher education may enable e-racism, classism, and sexism by failing to make these issues explicit. Chapters include case studies, representations of communication models, and definitions of key terms. Annotation c2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)