Boundary Crossing of Discourses in Chat Interaction During Creative Collaboration in School and Out

• In Event: Studying Designed Environments

Abstract

This study discusses a case study of elementary school students’ (N=21) computer-mediated textual interaction, i.e., “chatting” while collaborating on writing a school musical script in school and out. While drawing on the sociocultural perspective and on the notion of boundary crossing, the study identifies three dominant discourses; discourses of schooling, students’ informal lives, and socioemotional discourses. The discourses were constructed sequentially and in parallel and interwoven forms, resulting in multi-voiced interactions characterized by fluidity and boundary permeability. In these hybrid spaces, the students negotiated a common ground, mutual inspiration, and trust. Moreover, they negotiated their social identities and community membership. In all, the study enriches present-day understanding of social practices that emerge in multi-voiced and heteroglossic online chat interactions.

Authors

• Kristiina P. Kumpulainen, University of Helsinki

• Anna Mikkola, University of Helsinki