Sustaining computer-mediated communication in university courses

In the second of two graduate classes with the same title and content, the volume of on-line messages per person, in the four weeks sampled, was more than seven times higher than in the first. Between weeks l-2 and weeks 5-6, the total number of messages per person dropped in the first class and rose in the second. Each class had a different computer-mediated communication (CMC) system and was given different guidelines for use. This paper analyses differences in volume and hypothesises a relationship between system characteristics, guidelines for use, and the perpetuation of verbal interaction in settings where CMC is mandated.