Abstract:

This paper is the result of one academic year’s longitudinal study based on discussions that took place in seven online courses, as part of a blended learning academic program at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The study’s aim was to identify and characterize developmental processes in online discussions, as well as to examine whether, and to what extent, an online environment influences the discourse development within a culturally diverse group.

This qualitative study entailed horizontal and vertical analyses of the discussion process, utilizing the micro-textual method, in order to identify the nature and development progress of the discussions. In the course of the study, four types of discourse were identified: personal-autobiographical, disciplinary, professional, and ethno-cultural. Moreover, four directions were identified in the progression of the discourse: discourse developing via antinomic pairs, discourse developing via technological aids, discourse developing in spiral fashion, and an evolving metacognitive discourse.

The findings suggest that the online environment is a fertile arena for creating an academic and multicultural learning context.

Keywords:

Online discussions, blended learning, multicultural education.