Interaction, Facilitation, and Deep Learning in Cross-Cultural Chat: A Case Study

This case study evaluates the potential of synchronous chat for deep learning in the context of a distance education program between two universities in different cultural contexts, with a focus on interaction and facilitation. Three rubrics— functional moves, social construction of knowledge, and teaching presence— were applied in a longitudinal content analysis of chat sessions between four adult learners in Azerbaijan and their two facilitators in the U.S. The findings reveal that although the quality of the interaction was limited by the nature of the task, language difficulties, and differing cultural expectations about instruction, conceptual negotiative activity increased over time. In conjunction with previous research on constructivist learning, these results support the view that synchronous chat can facilitate deep learning, but also suggest that the cost may outweigh the benefits, especially when language and cultural barriers must be overcome.