Abstract

The authors of this study explore the development of learner-to-learner immediacy behaviors in an online classroom environment. The authors outline the importance of previous teacher and student immediacy research, and call upon further exploration of immediacy research between learners in the online educational environment. This brings together immediacy research with computer mediated communication research to illustrate the development of closeness between learners in online discussion boards via self-disclosure. The authors conducted a qualitative analysis of 1080 discussion board posts, and determined that instructor influence was the key factor in reaching higher levels of self-disclosure among learners.