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Computer-mediated communication
Dissertation   Open access

Computer-mediated communication

Jo Ellen MacDonald
University of West Florida Libraries
Doctor of Education (EDD), University of West Florida
2012

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Abstract

That generational differences exist is well established in the literature. The purpose of this time-order, mixed-methods study was to determine whether generational affiliation influences the nature of students' participation in online discussion. Using Henri's (1992) computer conferencing content analysis model, a sample of randomly selected weeks of online discussion posts was qualitatively analyzed for indications of each aspect of the five dimensions of computer-mediated communication (CMC) described by Henri: (a) participative, (b) interactive, (c) social, (d) cognitive, and (e) metacognitive. The total observed occurrences of each aspect of the five dimensions were tabulated for each student, and a mean was determined for each of the three generational groups represented: Boomers, Gen-Xers, and Millennials. Through analysis of variance and Scheffé's post hoc analysis, it was found that Boomers scored significantly higher at the p < .05 level than Gen-Xers in every category of the participative dimension, in the response categories of the interactive dimension, and in the cognitive categories of judgment and deep processing, suggesting that Boomers were more actively engaged in the discussion, tending to post more frequently, write longer posts, stay on topic more, and respond more frequently to other students' posts, thereby continuing the discussion. The results for Gen-Xers and Millennials suggested a lack of engagement in the discussions. Based on the study results and the literature, several suggestions were offered to increase student engagement and realize the potential of CMC for collaborative learning.
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