@article {5811,
	title = {The Impact of Hierarchical Positions on the Type of Communication within Online Communities of Learning},
	journal = {Computers in Human Behavior},
	volume = {58},
	year = {2016},
	pages = {158{\textendash}170},
	abstract = {Communities of Learning (CoL) have been suggested to facilitate the learning process among participants of online trainings. Yet, previous studies often detached participants from the social context in which learning took place. The present study addresses this shortcoming by providing empirical evidence from 25 CoL of a global organization, where 249 staff members from different hierarchical positions engaged into collaborative learning via asynchronous discussion forums. We conduct a longitudinal study on the type of communication within these CoL, as well as participants{\textquoteright} network positions, in order to investigate the research question: What is the impact of individual{\textquoteright}s hierarchical positions on the type of communication within CoL? Our results indicate that the higher participants{\textquoteright} hierarchical position, the higher their amount of social and cognitive communication, which in turn was also positively related to their network position within CoL. We also identified a sub-group of Stars that outperformed their colleagues and who were at the center of CoL, irrespective of their hierarchical positions. Consequently, we propose design and facilitation strategies to practitioners and organizers of future CoL that can foster the learning processes and outcomes of all participants. Additionally, we consider future research avenues that could be explored further.},
	keywords = {Community of Learning, Content Analysis, Hierarchical Positions, Social Network Analysis, type of communication},
	doi = {10.1016/j.chb.2015.12.065},
	author = {Martin Rehm and Regina H. Mulder and Wim Gijselaers and Mien Segers}
}
@proceedings {4291,
	title = {Analysis of Emotional Communication Processes among Working Professionals within Communities of Learning},
	year = {2015},
	address = {Limassol, Cyprus},
	abstract = {Online Communities of Learning (CoL) have received a growing amount of attention in the context of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL). The process of connecting people via CoL builds on the use of technical media, e.g., asynchronous discussion forums. Online discussions are mainly fuelled by emotional support. Moreover, there is evidence that emotions have an impact on the individual learning processes. In order to emphasize the character of emotional communication processes in asynchronous learning environments, emotional threads, a newly developed and used method, has been used to analyse the dynamical structure of communication processes. Generally, each emotional thread involves at least two notes, is revealed in an online learning situation and has to be triggered by an external attribution. Previous research on this topic has focused on (higher) education and not yet on working professionals. We address this shortcoming by formulating the following research questions: 
1. Is it possible to identify emotional threads in asynchronous computer-supported collaborative learning?
2. To what extend are emotional threads relevant to the learning processes of CoL among working professionals?
We collected data from an online training program (CoL = 25, n = 249), which aimed to enhance the knowledge and skills of a global organization{\textquoteright}s staff, operating in the sector of economic development. Each CoL was centred on asynchronous discussion forums, where participants engaged in collaborative discussions of real-life tasks. Our preliminary findings include the identification of two task-directed emotional threads within one CoL.},
	keywords = {Community of Learning, computer supported collaborative learning, emotional communication, organisationales Lernen},
	url = {http://www.earli2015.org/},
	author = {Verena Watzek and Martin Rehm and Regina H. Mulder}
}
