Comunidades de aprendizagem em Cursos a Distância: investigando as relações sociais em ambientes virtuais

Abstract

The study investigates the development of virtual learning communities in distance learning courses, based on key elements of community formation and social relations among participants. The investigation included ideas and concepts of virtual ethnography and was conducted with 18 3rd semester students enrolled in Letras-Português, an undergraduate distance learning program offered by the Universidade Federal do Ceará and Universidade Aberta do Brasil. Data was collected during the classroom course meetings, at the Learning Managements Systems and through interviews. Observations were conducted during two selected courses: Língua Portuguesa: Frase e Latim II: Língua e Cultura (semester 2008.2). Result validated founding elements presented in the related literature and also allowed the formulation of new ones: Status, Roles, Norms and different types of social relationship. These elements were manifested specifically at formal learning spaces.