Salmon‘s model

Gilly Salmon (2000) presents a well-developed model for understanding the stages of needs and response in computer-mediated conferencing. This model serves as a basis for reflecting on the particular roles that instructors should play and the particular activities that they carry out in building community in their online courses. This five-stage model intimates that there is a developmental process in order for participants to be fully engaged and successful members of the community. Salmon‘s model suggests the type of technical support that is needed by students at each stage and also points to specific moderating activities that are performed by the instructor. Figure 1 (below) presents information about participant needs and instructor responses at each of these stages.

Stage	Participant Needs	Instructor Response
5. Development (reflecting on learning and achieving personal goals)	Have and accept responsibility for self-learning Challenge assumptions regarding process and content	Openness to challenges Support for self-directed learning Trouble-shooting technical or process issues
4. Knowledge Construction (establishing common understandings and collaboration)	Assert individual views Make meaning and share new learning Develop collaborative efforts at knowledge building	Group building Facilitating discussion and connecting conversation and content
3. Information Exchange (sharing course content and process information)	Select and use information Exchange ideas with others Appropriately constrain efforts at interaction and information retrieval	Directing effort Presenting guidelines for interaction, research, and other course-related activity Personalizing course activities
2. Online Socialization (establishing online identities and interactivity)	Develop a sense of belonging and identity Learn to use the system for communicating Understand guidelines for behavior	Modeling appropriate interactivity Making connections between individuals, each other, and the learning environment Promoting mutual respect
1. Access and Motivation (gaining access to and successful use of the system)	Get connected to the course Access support materials Understand purpose and become motivated to participate	Directing clearly regarding access and support Inviting and welcoming

Figure 1. Needs and responses implied by Salmon‘s five stage model of computer-mediated conferencing

The first stage, access and motivation, is characterized by participants gaining access to the course system and becoming motivated to participate in the course. In the second stage, online socialization, participants are establishing their identities and patterns of interactivity. Information exchange, the third stage, is characterized by the sharing of information related to the course content, participants, and process. In the fourth stage, knowledge construction, participants are collaborating in the establishment of common understandings. Development, the fifth stage, is the point at which participants are reflecting on their learning.

Reference

Salmon, G. 2000. E-Moderating: The key to teaching and learning online. London: Kogan Page.