Chapter 6: Hear me Out!: The Use of Identity, Space, and Voice in an Online Classroom

This study focuses on how graduate students construe the idea of space, voice, and identity in online classrooms. We interviewed nine doctoral students at a land grant university about their experiences with online study. Study results indicate that online classrooms create space in which students have opportunities to contribute and voice their ideas. This was especially true for minority student participants whose unique online identities emerged. The results of this study suggest that culture is not a barrier to communication in online classrooms.

The online learning classroom has gained popularity over the past several years. As of 2009, there were 5.6 million college students enrolled in online classrooms (Allen & Seaman, 2010). These numbers have continued to increase with advances in technology that have enriched learning experiences in virtual and asynchronous online classrooms. The purpose of this paper is to explore the effects of online learning in the era of increased diversity. The paper argues that, by breaking down the barriers influenced by social and cultural backgrounds of graduate students, online classrooms create space in which students from diverse cultures and orientations participate in the coconstruction of knowledge and learning. In addition, online classrooms offer chances for authentic identities and student voices to emerge uninhibited.