Interaction in Communication Technologies and Virtual Learning Environments: Human Factors

In our 'knowledge society', the success of social institutions, such as industry, higher education, healthcare and law, to name a few, is largely dependent on a complex network of social skills and norms which inform and create competent communication and social interactions. Communication and interactions are increasingly mediated by technologies and machines that facilitate, indeed enable, dialogue in local and global contexts. This book examines how we communicate and interact in a technically-mediated, connected and inter-connected world. Although our examination often stems from disciplinary-specific perspectives, the plurality of experiences presented in this book collectively reveals the trans-disciplinary impact technologies hold in shaping, influencing and creating communication. This book shows that what we consider 'normal' regarding the use of computer-mediated communication (CMC), whether in classrooms or boardrooms, varies widely. The social norms, attitudes and expectations that govern our use of communication technologies determine whether email is commonplace or complex, or if we have ever attempted synchronous trans-continental electronic collaborations. Social institutions offer a plurality of settings from which we explore the dynamics of the human-machine interface. The human-machine interface influences and shapes social meanings, interactions, knowledge production and the goods/services provided and utilized. Indeed, changes in the availability, quality and quantity of communication technologies are arguably revolutionizing, and fundamentally altering, how individuals and organizations interact, communicate and work.