At this stage, the key issues for teachers and participants are being able to gain access to the CMC system and be motivated to the spend time and effort required.
Participants will need to be able to gain access to and use the system and reach the point where they can see conferences (discussion) on screen. Participants will also need to know about the availability and benefits of the CMC system.
Moderators (teachers) will need to motivate students, recognising that 'hand holding' may be required for those students lacking confidence.
Participants will be adjusting online interaction and many participants will view CMC as a new and potentially alien world. Participants recognise the need to identify with each other and to develop a sense of direction online; they need guidance about online behaviour. Induction can provide benefits to participants.
Participants begin to appreciate the broad range of information available to them online and how fast and easy information exchange is.
However, participants can also become concerned at the amount of information and will need to develop strategies to deal with potential overload. Information flows very freely and the "cost" of responding to a request for information is low. The interaction occurring at this stage is around content or sharing of information.
At this stage participants start to interact with each other in participative ways. Participants respond to each others' messages; many become involved in active learning.
The more successful moderators demonstrate the skills related to group building and maintenance.
Participants become responsible for their own learning and need little additional support.
Participants start to challenge the system and the conference. Participants and moderator are using a constructivist approach to learning.