Building Virtual Communities: Learning and Change in Cyberspace

Building Virtual Communities examines how learning and cognitive change are fostered by online communities.

Booknews

An examination of the types, structures, and possibilities of Internet communities that should interest educators, psychologists, sociologists, and researchers in human-computer interaction. The 12 papers include a case study of third grade girls which demonstrates how their interactions in a virtual community-based learning environment increased both their technological interest and competence; a description of the life cycles of network-based learning communities; a discussion of design considerations for creating online learning communities; and an analysis of the death of MediaMOO (Amy Bruckman's text-based virtual community for media researchers, which lasted from 1992 until 1996 when it began its decline). Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR