What Influences Reflective Interaction in Distance Peer Learning? Evidence from four long-term online learners of French

Researchers in text-conferencing have not yet addressed the relationship between changing task designs and learner behaviour, as few have been able to monitor learners over time. We present a study of four learners of French-as-a-foreign-language, interacting within three task frameworks, including semi-structured, highly structured and unstructured contexts. Based on work on learner reflection (Wenden) and learner interaction (Van Lier), we define a pedagogy prioritising 'reflective interaction'. The main question addressed here is whether reflective interaction is more likely to arise from some task types than others. The findings of this study are based on data gathered over 15 months, and relate a content analysis of learner messages to feedback questionnaires. The results appear to challenge the assumption that task type is the main predictor of the volume of reflective interaction.