Agency online: trends in a university learning course
Résumé
This article aims to investigate how university students perform agency in
an online course and whether the collaborative nature of the course affects
such expression. A total of 11 online web forums involving 18 students
(N = 745 posts in total) were qualitatively analysed through the use of a
codebook composed of five categories (individual, interpersonal, epistemic,
transformative and collective) and several sub-categories purposely
developed for the sake of this research. The results show that each category
follows a specific path, although two events – the re-mixing of the groups and
the assumption of the peer-tutor role – particularly affected the evolution of
trends. Although this study needs further development, the authors believe
that an in-depth understanding of the nature of agency, including how to
analyse it as well as empower it when implementing blended educational
activities, engages relevant theoretical and pedagogical issues.