This article reports on action research that implements online learning community (OLC) software to foster conversation at a specific graduate school. The design of the research is informed by theories of conversation, online learning, and social networking, as well as by popular Web 2.0 technologies. A distinguishing feature of this application is that it is oriented toward and controlled by individuals rather than being centered on courses. Results indicate that stakeholders—graduate students and faculty—appreciate and find value in the OLC we implemented.
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Thoms et al. (2008) studied this question.