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 1-2 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 comput er-mediated communication (CMC) system and was given different guideli nes for use. This paper analyses differences in volume and hypothesise s a relationship between system characteristics, guidelines for use, a nd the perpetuation of verbal interaction in settings where CMC is man dated.