| Summary: | 博士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 社會教育學系 === 94 === Due to the increasing number of adult learners in higher education, building an online learning community as a teaching strategy meets the needs of adult learners’ self-directed learning and collaborative learning. The purpose of this study is to explore the development model of an online learning community, online interaction patterns, and the gender differences in online interaction. The subjects were 13 graduate students in Research Assistant System at National Kaohsiung Normal University. Data collected from the transcripts of synchronous computer conferencing, asynchronous forum, and interviews were content analyzed. Results reveal that the community development model is based on the group and is driven by events. Coming with the interaction of members’ position, motivation, characteristic, and relation, the community develops into environmental, technical, learning and social dimensions under the instructor’s management and direction. Second, social, cognitive, and teaching presence is the foundation of online learning community. Social presence supports teaching and cognitive presence. Teaching presence facilitates cognitive development. Third, no significant gender difference is found in online interaction patterns, but factors influencing them are different. Males focus on their ability and position in the community, and females focus on their relation and how others feel. Finally, the implication to adult education is that learning community contributes to situated learning, and learners learn how to develop critical thinking and how to connect with others while participating community.
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