Perceptions and reflections: Using Skype chat to build a community of learners

This paper is a report on the preliminary findings of two on-going studies conducted on graduate level courses for pre-service teachers. A survey was used to gather student perceptions about using Skype and written tutor reflections obtained for evidence of perceived advantages and disadvantages of using Skype to build a community of learners. Constant comparative analysis techniques were used to examine the Skype chat transcript. Findings indicate that students appreciated the opportunity to communicate in real-time with their peers and used the technology to connect with and support each on their learning journey.