Abstract
Free, open, online help forums are open to the public and allow students to anonymously seek homework help from volunteers who have the time, willingness, and experience to respond. These forums offer affordable, accessible, and efficient help as a social, public endeavor. Some forums exhibit a strong sense of virtual community, especially amongst well-established helpers who are core participants. To investigate how newcomers may enter into such a community, five helpers were recruited to participate for eight consecutive weeks in an existing popular forum for mathematics homework help covering arithmetic through advanced mathematics. We modified a virtual community framework to describe the activity of the newcomer helper who made the most progress in moving from peripheral to fuller participation in terms of membership, influence, and immersion. This process involved cultivating a sense of belonging and building supportive relationships, contributing meaningfully and creating a voice, and demonstrating dedication to shared goals.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Conference, CSCL |
| Pages | 510-517 |
| Number of pages | 8 |
| Volume | 1 |
| State | Published - 2013 |
| Event | 10th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2013 - Madison, WI, United States Duration: Jun 15 2013 → Jun 19 2013 |
Conference
| Conference | 10th International Conference on Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, CSCL 2013 |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | United States |
| City | Madison, WI |
| Period | 6/15/13 → 6/19/13 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Education