Where and with whom do students learn in an online university subject? A multiple case study analysis

This thesis examines the performance of learning by online university students. Data was generated from four case studies of second year subjects: observations of students in their online subjects, a content analysis of 1,857 discussion board posts, and a document analysis of the learning materials. This data was strengthened by 120 student questionnaires, 20 student interviews, and six teacher interviews. Drawing from studies of education, and the conceptual frameworks of Goffman (1959) and Lave and Wenger (1991), I developed a participation typology that illustrates how online students resituate their roles and reconceptualise the curriculum across multiple online and offline settings.