Researching "collaborative knowledge building" in formal distance learning environments

Distance learning environments provide a rich opportunity for collaborative knowledge building, particularly through peer-to-peer dialogue. Much of the discussion in distance learning environments occurs in asynchronous forums, and it is content analysis of these discussions that constitutes the majority of research in online learning. However few studies in this area provide enough information about the context to know what works and what doesn't. Most studies do not go beyond downloading and analyzing the transcripts after the course is completed. Studies also lack a solid epistemological stance, attempting to capture evidence of individual learning of knowledge rather than examining the process of group learning through knowledge construction. An ongoing lack of attention to a coherent theoretical foundation, examining transcripts without attending to their situated contexts, and relying primarily on reductionist content analysis methods, will continue to limit our understanding of the potentiality and actuality of online collaborative learning environments. In this paper we explore how Stahl's social theory of CSCL can be applied to formal online learning environments to address these limitations.