The Psychodynamics of Distance Learning: The Online Discussion Room

[Abstract] This article examines the influence of Psychodynamics on the online course room. The virtual discussion room is a cornerstone of the distance learning experience. Participants engage in virtual dialogue and discussion requiring their construction of learning environments that are academically stimulating and educationally rewarding within an academic community that is sensory-limited and geographically disparate. Thus, examining the key psychological and select theories and applications from the sociological and anthropological literature, may contribute to current research associated with the online discussion room and advance the efficacy of educators' instructional practice. This paper explores four (4) four areas that may influence the online discussion room; they are; 1) Psychodynamics: Origins and Organizing, 2) Psychodynamic Structures and Conditions, 3) Language, Symbols, and Social Construction, and 4) The Online Discussion Room: Internal Integration Considerations.