Sociocultural theories of learning emphasize the influence of social context on motivation, that membership in communities of practice establish and reinforce identity and self-concept. By participating actively within these communities and conforming to the normative behaviors expected, learners maintain their identities.

Communities of Practice influence motivation both extrinsically, through modeling, collaboration, and vicarious reinforcement, as well as intrinsically, by assuming that all learners possess a need for what Woolfolk (2001) terms relatedness -- "the desire to establish close emotional bonds and attachments with others" (p. 379).

Recent Internet technologies have mobilized Communities of Practice around innumerable instructional topics, from boating to web development. What make these instructional environments so interesting are the participation levels of the members. Organizational theorists studying online discussion have proposed that lurkers are motivated to visit technical forums to satisfy their own practical needs by consuming what Senge (1994) has termed public goods. This is easy to understand. In contrast, the literature has been less consistent in explaining why central participants (heavy users) post so much and so often. We will discuss this issue in the activity below.

The research in Distance Learning has probed the use of online discussion tools extensively, and there is general agreement that they can help foster a sense of community for geographically dispersed students when implemented appropriately. Moreover, there is a relationship between achievement / course completion and learner sense of community. The research has also shown that ordinarily reticent classroom learners become more active participants in online forums.

1) So, then, what motivates the participants in EDUC 531 to post so frequently and openly in the course discussion forum?
2) Does that differ from the participation evident in EDUC 204 forum?
3) Contrast both of those forums with "public" forums like The Hull Truth or the Macromedia Online Forum for web development. What motivates the central participants in these environments.