Reviews

edited by Philip Barker

Danny Saunders and Nina Smalley (eds.), The
International Simulation and Gaming Research
Yearbook — Volume 8: Simulations and Games for
Transition and Change, London: Kogan Page,
2000. ISBN: 0-7494-3397-3. Hardback, viii+271
pages, £40.00.

The theme of this year's International Simulation
and Gaming Yearbook - 'Transition and Change'
- addresses the topical discourse on the
improvement of pedagogy by the introduction of
active and student-centred learning in UK
higher education. Although the value of
'learning-by-doing' and experiential learning is
well recognized by researchers in education,
many subjects and university courses continue to
employ teaching methods (such as lectures) that
favour a passive reproduction of information
rather than the fostering of student
understanding. In this regard, simulations and
games are powerful tools that not only promote
an active, student-centred approach to learning
but have the potential to help realize government
policies to improve the quality of teaching and
learning in higher education institutions in the
UK.

Games and simulations, in fact, are becoming a
steadfast methodology in certain subjects as well
as in professional training. This eighth volume
of a series on simulation and gaming research is
vital proof of the persistent development and
use of the methodology by dedicated teachers
and trainers. The publication consists of a
compilation of papers from well-known scholars
and practitioners. Theoretical topics are amply

76

complemented with descriptions of use and
implementations of simulations and games in a
variety of international educational settings.
Contributions are grouped thematically into
sections on 'Game Design and Development'
(1), 'Interpersonal Relations' (2), 'Business and
Management' (3), 'Technology and Computing'
(4), 'Practitioner's Notes' (5) and 'Yearbook
Information' (6).

The book's overall structure follows a sequence
that caters to readers who are unfamiliar with
the topic area. The first section with
theoretically orientated papers provides an
introduction into current research and thought
that places the application examples from the
following sections in context. While most
authors are enthusiastic about games and
simulations, critical pieces are also included so
that overall a very balanced view of the
methodology is provided. The article by Henry
Ellington, for example, reviews eloquently the
categories and key characteristics of games and
simulations in respect to pedagogy. Depending
on the context, games, simulations and case
studies can be used to develop communication,
interpersonal, research, analysis and cognitive
skills. Moreover, with an increasing trend toward
computer-mediated self-study, online and
distance learning, the need to balance student-
centred learning with interactive and face-to-
face learning opportunities is stressed. While
games possess many strengths, such as the
potential to integrate perspectives from different
disciplines and to promote deep learning, the



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author points also to weaknesses, such as the
organizational challenges of accommodating
games in a university schedule, the difficulties for
assessment and the potential misuse of games as
diversions. Further papers in this section discuss
simulation design, the implications of the
emotional element in role-play and the use of
simulations to develop and assess policy in
health care.

Readers familiar with the field will not be
disappointed. Topical sections support a
selective reading approach focusing on specific
issues and applications. Contributions cover a
wide spectrum ranging, for example, from a
playful imaginary classroom exercise on the
diffusion of innovation and a training workshop
for professionals in the catering industry to an
interesting simulation on interpersonal relations
which is designed to help participants gain an
understanding of prejudice and discrimination.
Here, real world discrimination is 'rehearsed' in
the simulation through deliberate segregation
and information-channelling. The artificially
created difference in information access and level
leads to mistrust and prejudices in the
interactions of the reunited group which are
discussed in a structured manner at the con-
clusion of the exercise. Much deeper under-
standing is achieved through this experiential
approach than could be obtained through
discussion alone.

The final part, 'Yearbook Information', contains
the most comprehensive and well-organized
reference section on gaming and simulation
work of which I am aware. A bibliography of
recent articles categorized by major disciplines
provides readers easy access to additional
information and research on many different
aspects of gaming and simulations. There is also
an up-to-date list of national and international
publications, such as books and journals as well
as addresses of companies that design and
distribute games.

The Simulation and Gaming Research Yearbook
dazzles with a great breadth of contributions
from many fields and countries. However, depth
and quality of individual articles vary. A number
of essays from Section 5, entitled 'Practitioner's
Notes', are rather sketchy and eclectic. A lengthy
description of a game design competition may
have great entertainment value to the
contributor's friends and acquaintances, but it is
likely to be a cause for bewilderment for many
others. On one hand, one may argue that more

rigorous editorship might have helped to
alleviate quality discrepancies, but the trade-off
would almost certainly be less diversity in terms
of authors and topics. This is a difficult choice to
make, for there is a delicate balance between
inclusion, breadth and diversity and inconsist-
ency, lack of quality and eclecticism. On the
other hand, a rigorous scholarly evaluation may
be uncalled for here. In the preface of the fourth
Gaming and Simulation Yearbook, Saunders
asserted that reading passively about active
learning is somewhat a contradiction of terms.
Games and simulations need to be experienced
to evaluate their real quality.

Nonetheless, for lack of alternative media, the
Simulation and Gaming Yearbook series is, so far
one of the best accounts of activities and
research in the field of gaming and simulation
available. This edition on Transition and Change
complements earlier volumes with new and
unique contributions that re-emphasize the
wealth of possibilities for the use of games and
simulations in different fields. This book, I
believe, will proof useful for teachers and
educators seeking to improve the learning
experience of their students as the collection of
theory, concepts, and practical examples
provides an abundance of ideas and tools for use
in various teaching and training situations.

Andrea Frank
Cardiff University

David McConnell, Implementing Computer
Supported Cooperative Learning, 2nd edition,
London: Kogan Page, 2000. ISBN: 0-7494-
3135-0. Hardback, 264 pages, £19.99.

In the six years since the first edition of this
book was published much has changed. In 1994
the Web was in its infancy and much of the
educational use of computer-mediated commu-
nications (CMC) was of a pioneering or experi-
mental nature. The use of CMC is not yet a
mainstream activity but it is certainly common-
place. The world of text-based systems has been
enriched by newer Web-based systems and the
prospect of full multimedia is now much closer
as processing power and bandwidth are
increasing rapidly. This book is not primarily
about technology; it is aimed squarely at
practitioners who are interested in co-operative
learning and as such the pedagogical basis of the
book is much more stable than technological
change might imply. This book remains a
valuable contribution because it is about the

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Reviews

implementation of a pedagogical practice using
technology rather than being simply technology-
driven.

The author describes the book as being divided
into three sections. Part I examines co-operative
learning and the technologies available for
supporting co-operative learning. It then goes on
to draw comparisons between computer
supported co-operative learning (CSCL) and
face-to-face environments. Part II (Chapters 5
and 6) considers design issues and presents a
case study of a long-running CSCL programme.
In Part III (Chapters 7 and 8) the author
concludes the book with a review of advanced
learning technologies that can be applied to
CSCL and an examination of research into
CSCL. I have provided the indications as to
which chapters fall into each section as the book
has no guide to the sections that the author
describes.

Chapter 1 of the book introduces the idea of co-
operative learning. This chapter is the heart of
the book, as it sets out the pedagogic framework
around which the other chapters develop. It is
updated by the inclusion of an additional
section about socially orientated theories of
learning that have become increasingly
significant in the years between the two editions
of this book. The chapter acknowledges the
various uses of the terms 'collaborative' and 'co-
operative' within the field of CSCL.and wisely
decides to use co-operative as an inclusive term
to encompass the various approaches to the
subject. The use of the term co-operative allows
the author to draw support from the wider social
theories of co-operation associated with Axelrod
and Argyle.

Chapter 2 deals with technologies for CSCL and
is one of the parts of the book most affected by
recent developments. The chapter outlines some
of the currently available software systems for
CSCL in a more fully developed section than
the first edition. These are divided into
asynchronous and synchronous types, with
the author expressing a clear preference for
systems that support knowledge construction
rather than systems with an underlying purpose
of instructional delivery. The system reviews are
quite comprehensive and they are informed by
recent research at the University of Sheffield.
Other sections of the chapter are not so
thoroughly updated. In particular the structure
remains much the same as the 1994 edition,
though some of the technical specifications have

78

been removed, as they are now out of date. The
problem with this chapter is that it does not look
closely at current technical developments and
their potential for educational applications.
Telecommunication companies are now
supplying digital subscriber lines (DSL): BT for
example currently offers ADSL (Asymmetrical
DSL) in some regions and has plans to make the
technology available across the UK. The
capacity and possible uses of ADSL and DSL
lines in general are not mentioned. Mobile Web
access is now available via WAP telephones, and
third-generation mobile technologies that will
offer permanent connections and high data rates
are on the horizon. Some discussion of the
affordances of these new systems would have
been welcome, as audio and video capabilities
may become widely available in the near future.

Chapter 3 examines tutoring and learning in
CSCL and face-to-face environments. In
structure and content it remains largely the same
as the first edition. An entirely new chapter that
considers the dynamics of group work follows.
The focus of this chapter is aspects of gender
and the differences observed between male and
female participants in CSCL. It is based upon
empirical research undertaken by the author in
the early 1990s.

The second section consists of two chapters,
'Designing for CSCL' and 'CSCL in Action - A
Case Study'. Chapter 5 is a helpful chapter
dealing with design issues and it has
comprehensively updated references in the new
edition. It also contains a short additional
section that develops the socially orientated
theories of learning introduced in Chapter 1 by
considering recent developments in the study of
learning communities. The structure of this
chapter and the one following remains largely
the same as in the first edition. Chapter 6 draws
on further empirical research by the author to
provide a detailed case study. The final section of
the book consists of two chapters, Chapter 7
(Trends and Developments') and Chapter 8
('Researching CSCL'). Both chapters have been
updated and Chapter 7 is a complete reworking
of the equivalent chapter in the first edition.

Overall this remains a valuable book. If you have
not either read or bought a copy of the first
edition, I recommend that you do not miss the
revised second edition. If you have a copy of the
first edition, I cannot in all honesty recommend
that you purchase the new edition, as it remains
largely the same book. You may wish to read a



Alt-J Volume 9 Number 2

copy of the new edition, though the book
contains little new material beyond revisions and
the new Chapter 4 looking at Group Dynamics.
Specifically the revisions made in the area of
technology and of advanced learning
technologies are not sufficient to warrant an
unqualified recommendation.

Chris Jones
Lancaster University

Linda Lau, Distance Learning Technologies:
Issues, Trends and Opportunities, Hershey PA
(USA): Ideas Group Publishing, 2000. ISBN:
1-878-28980-2. Softback, ii+252 pages, $69.50
US.

With the growing attention being paid to the use
of distance learning technology in education,
this book is intended to promote and enhance
knowledge and understanding of distance learn-
ing technologies for academics and practitioners.
A collection of papers presented in sixteen
chapters, the book deals with a diverse range of
distance learning situations from a Web-based
learning environment for children, through
instruction systems for higher education to Web-
based training for the network marketing
industry. It is divided into three sections. The
first concentrates on the theoretical foundations
of distance learning. The second section
describes the conceptual aspects of distance
learning - strategies for using distance learning
technologies and elements to consider for
successful development of distance learning
programs. The final section presents case studies
of practical implementation of distance learning
technology.

The first four chapters focus on the theoretical
aspects of distance learning. Chapter One
provides reasonable coverage of constructivist
learning theories and examples of constructivist
approaches, but recommendations for imple-
menting these theories in Web-based learning
environments are brief and rather superficial
and do not offer any real proposals. The second
chapter provides sound advice but again does
not fully cover the area. For instance, it acknow-
ledges that text-based learning can produce
'lurkers', but the authors fail to address the
problem of how to ensure discourse takes place.
Chapter Three discusses a framework for
summative and formative evaluation of Web-
based teaching in higher education. The authors
suggest that formative evaluation should justify
the use of the teaching method; while in a

formative evaluation one should analyse the
needs of the student users and design an
appropriate system to meet those needs. Chapter
Four considers the implications of distance
training programs in large businesses. It argues
that a change in the way training is carried out
requires a combined approach of strategic
planning, change management and project
management. This article argues that these skills
should be utilized to ensure the smooth
transition within a corporate structure to
technology-based distance learning. While
acknowledging the different focus of higher
education and business, the author argues that
both business and higher education can draw on
the principles of strategy, change management
and project planning to implement distance
education.

The middle chapters of the book describe con-
ceptual aspects of distance learning technology.
Chapter Six identifies and discusses the issues
that need to be addressed by an institution when
considering forming an alliance to provide
distance learning. It highlights both the
potential benefits and pitfalls and identifies the
need for longitudinal research into the way such
alliances evolve and the way they might affect
the mission, identity and survival of an
individual school. Chapter Seven presents a case
study of DODEA Electronic School which was
set up as a distance learning institution, and has
moved to IT-based delivery. The school uses
Lotus Notes and this chapter examines what the
authors regard to be the key elements of a
successful distance learning program. The nine
criteria appear to be a useful set of elements,
though some are only possible in a particular
type of learning environment. They may not be
appropriate for some distance learning commu-
nities where students are, for instance, based at
home. This is an enthusiastic and upbeat chapter
designed to assist the instructional designer in
developing existing courses, although it does
tend to gloss over some of the difficulties and
drawbacks of designing such an environment.
Online education from the perspective of the
course developer is considered in Chapter Eight.
It identifies and discusses three issues the author
considers essential for the successful design and
implementation of an online course: first,
pedagogical concerns - the instructional and
pedagogical goals of the course for the students;
secondly, organizational issues - the extent of
online delivery, type of assignment, group size,
types of interaction, prerequisite skills; thirdly,

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Reviews

i n s t i t u t i o n a l issues - s u p p o r t for staff a n d
innovative practices, credit for o n l i n e c o u r s e s
a n d s t u d e n t e v a l u a t i o n of courses.

Two of t h e five c h a p t e r s ( C h a p t e r s 12 a n d 15) in
t h e final section h i g h l i g h t t h e p o t e n t i a l for
greater isolation in o n l i n e l e a r n i n g a s o p p o s e d t o
t r a d i t i o n a l face-to-face e d u c a t i o n . T h e y discuss
t h e a p p r o a c h e s t h e y h a v e t a k e n t o a d d r e s s a n d
avoid this p r o b l e m . C h a p t e r Twelve discusses t h e
experience of s e t t i n g o u t specifically t o create a
' c o m m u n i t y of l e a r n i n g ' i n a p r o g r a m m e t h a t is
60 p e r c e n t face-to-face a n d 40 p e r c e n t o n l i n e
( t h o u g h s t u d e n t s t e n d t o s p e n d m u c h m o r e time
- u p t o 80 p e r c e n t - o n l i n e ) . C h a p t e r F o u r t e e n
e x a m i n e s W e b - b a s e d i n s t r u c t i o n systems ( W B I S )
from t h e systems perspective, p r e s e n t i n g critical
issues a n d p r o b l e m s r e l a t i n g t o W B I S . It
p r e s e n t s a t a x o n o m y for classifying c u r r e n t t y p e s
of W B I S , a n d suggests h o w t h e t a x o n o m y c a n b e
used t o evaluate a n d select a p p r o p r i a t e t e c h n o -
logies t o d e v e l o p W B I S . T h e c h a p t e r e n d s by
assessing t h e i m p a c t of c u r r e n t technological
a n d s o c i o - e c o n o m i c t r e n d s o n t h e future of
W B I S . F o r m e , this w a s o n e of t h e m o s t
interesting a n d f o r w a r d - l o o k i n g c h a p t e r s of t h e
b o o k .

M y m a i n criticism of this b o o k is t h a t it w o u l d
have benefited from closer p r o o f - r e a d i n g a n d a
m o r e n a r r o w l y defined focus. T h e p a p e r s m i g h t ,
however, b e useful r e s o u r c e m a t e r i a l for s t u d e n t s
u n d e r t a k i n g a s t u d y of t h e a r e a . T h e r e a r e
exceptions t o t h i s - p a r t i c u l a r l y in t h e final
section of t h e b o o k - w h e r e t h e p a p e r s offer
c o n t e n t of s u b s t a n c e t o t h e a c a d e m i c o r
researcher.

Elaine Pearson
University of Teesside

Chris Morgan and Meg O'Reilly, Assessing Open
and Distance Learners, London: Kogan Page,
1999. ISBN: 0-7494-2878-3. Softback, x+227
pages, £19.99.

This volume is one in the 'Open and Distance
Learning Series' published by Kogan Page.
Assessment is a controversial issue in any
context and in open and distance learning
(ODL) there are many additional considerations
which Morgan and O'Reilly identify and
address.

The book is divided into three parts. Part A
(Chapters 1 to 4) deals with 'Issues and themes
in open and distance assessment', Part B
(Chapters 5 to 11) covers 'Assessing learners in

80

open and distance learning', while Part C is
devoted to 'Case studies'. The authors suggest
that readers may like to read sequentially or dip
into sections of interest or need. For the
purposes of this review I read sequentially but
the layout of the book with its clear headings
and subheadings, a full contents section and a
comprehensive index facilitates serendipitous
dipping.

The first two chapters of Part A provide a
consideration of the positive and negative
aspects of assessment and the purposes of
assessment in general.

In Chapter 3 the focus of the discussion is
assessment in an open learning context. A
vignette describes how one distance learner took
a strategic or pragmatic approach to her studies
by focusing entirely on the assessment require-
ments and almost completely bypassing the
carefully prepared study materials. This raises
important questions about how effectively study
materials support assessment and are linked to
the objectives of the course. This is not only a
problem in distance learning; we are all familiar
with students in face-to-face contexts who
appear to engage minimally with our carefully
prepared sessions and whose only questions are
about the assessment requirements!

The authors engage us in interesting debate as to
whether or not open learning really is as open
and student-centred as its proponents assume. In
relation to assessment they highlight students'
concerns about lack of choice or variety in
assessment methods, minimal opportunities for
student self-assessment and inscrutable marking
schemes. There are similar issues raised by tutors
concerning standards and consistency, plagiar-
ism and proof of authorship and the additional
time that individualized learning activities
require for marking. Further discussion leads to
the identification of the key qualities required
for open and distance assessments. It would be
difficult to argue with this list:

• a clear rationale and consistent pedagogical
approach;

• explicit values, aims, criteria and standards;

• authentic and holistic tasks;

• a facilitative degree of structure;

• sufficient and timely formative assessment;

• awareness of the learning context and
perceptions.



Alt-J Volume 9 Number 2

In Chapter 4 the use of online technologies in
open and distance assessment is considered.
From the premise that, so far, most ODL assess-
ment activities have remained rather static, the
authors discuss the opportunities and losses that
online learning and assessment present. They
also suggest that we need to be aware of the
potential trap of harnessing new technologies as
a medium for presenting old assessment
methodologies.

Part B ('Assessing learners in open and distance
learning') covers the design and communication
of assessment tasks, marking and grading,
creating dialogue through assessment, time
management, the development of assessment
policies and evaluation. For me this is the most
valuable section of the book. The authors
request that readers read the materials critically
rather than considering them as recipes for
practice; they also hope that the information
given will stimulate further ideas.

Chapter 5 considers aligning assessment with
objectives, the selection of appropriate methods
and the amount, length and timing of
assessments. Readers are asked questions on the
validity, reliability, authenticity and openness of
their chosen methods and the chapter ends with
a useful checklist on the design of assessment
tasks.

In Chapter 6 the important aspect of the
communication of assessment tasks is discussed.
The need for clear and sufficient information is
considered and the impact on students when this
is inadequate is highlighted. There is a very
helpful section on the development of marking
criteria and suggestions for the moderation of
new assessment tasks before they can be used.

Chapter 7 gives straightforward and practical
advice on marking and grading, and giving
feedback. The issue of authentication is con-
sidered and, whilst stating that most adult open
and distance learners are highly motivated and
would consider cheating an anathema, it is
suggested that we must ensure that the processes
which ensure authentication must not also under-
mine the learning experiences of the students.
Some helpful ideas are offered from Benson
(1996) which suggests the following activities:

• link assignments so that each builds on the
former;

• individualize topics as far as possible with
the use of students' own workplaces, lives
and values as the source of discussion;

• use self-directed forms of learning such as
learning contracts;

• use work-based mentors, supervisors or
assessors;

• use video- and audio-based presentations as
an alternative to print;

• consider oral assessments via the telephone;

• adapt and change the assessment topics
regularly whilst maintaining the alignment
between objectives, content and teaching
and learning activities.

Chapters 8 and 9 give sensitive consideration on
how to facilitate dialogue and communicate
empathetically in an ODL environment and how
to deal with communication breakdown. The
concept of learning communities is considered
and strategies for enhancing self-management
and time management are identified. In Chapter
10 the link between ODL assessment policies
and institutional policies is discussed. The
statement that 'policies reveal values' is
illuminative in the context of how we value
student learning and the degree to which we
endeavour to put our students before institu-
tional convenience. The last chapter in this
section gives some timely advice on the variety of
ways in which we can explore the effectiveness
and efficiency of our assessment procedures.

Part C presents a selection of case studies that
illustrate a variety of assessments. These have
been organized to demonstrate the categories of
learning outcomes developed by Nightingale et
al. (1996), Assessing Learning in Universities:

1. Thinking critically and making judgements.

2. Solving problems and developing plans.

3. Performing procedures and developing plans.

4. Managing and developing oneself.

5. Accessing and managing information.

6. Demonstrating knowledge and understanding.

7. Designing, creating, performing.

8. Communicating.

The thirty-one case studies presented are drawn
from a wide range of disciplines, including
education, nursing, business, anthropology, eco-
nomics, philosophy, mathematics, agriculture and
psychology. Although I found it interesting to
read what other people were doing, I did not find
this section as helpful as Parts A and B. Using so

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Reviews

many case studies inevitably means that each is
given only brief coverage and it was not always
easy to get a complete picture of the issues and
strategies involved. Nevertheless demonstrating
the learning outcomes through the case studies
was an innovative and appropriate way to draw
the main themes of the book together.

The authors are to be commended on producing
a timely and readable book on this important
topic which I recommend to all involved in the
development and management of ODL. It has
much to offer to both those with experience in
ODL and those considering moving into this
area of practice. A comprehensive reference list
identifies many familiar sources but also a range
of other authors and texts that will be worth
following up.

Gillian Jordan
University of Greenwich

O. Simpson, Supporting Students in Open and
Distance Learning, London: Kogan Page, 2000.
ISBN: 0-7494-3082-6. Softback, vi+186 pages,
£18.99.

I was delighted to receive a review copy of
Ormond Simpson's Supporting Students in Open
and Distance Learning. Pressure of student
numbers, competition with our neighbour
universities and declining units of resource have
meant that we need to look closely at the
methods and tools of open and distance
learning. We have our own institution-wide
managed learning environment and supplement
this with Web-based resources and resource-
based learning. Amongst other things, we are
trying to support part-time students in full-time
jobs and full-time students in part-time jobs and
trying to optimize staff- student contact by
using as many other media as possible to provide
and supplement student support. So to direct
this book solely at academics working in open
and distance learning is seriously to under-sell it.
There are lots of ideas we could all look at.

The coverage is thorough and very systematic,
taking the reader through advising, supporting,
tutoring and retaining students from a variety of
backgrounds. The author's personal experience
and topical anecdotes serve to underline the
book's credibility.

One area that might need more attention is that
of the virtual or managed learning environments,
such as WebCT, WOLF or COSE. Whilst these
systems may only combine existing functionality,

82

specifically conferencing, email and content
transmission, the combination gives considerable
synergy and these systems are set to grow.

Also some other topics, towards the end of the
book, particularly 'Structure, Quality and Staff
Development in Student Support' and "Theories
of Student Support' (the latter looks at models
of interaction from counselling psychology) are
less satisfying.

Whilst the brief introduction to counselling is
useful, it does not do the subject justice. Also
there is actually an increasing interest in online
counselling within the professional counselling
community, for example in the British
Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy's
journal Counselling. This area could be reviewed
in subsequent editions and used to build a better
model of educational guidance based on online
psychological counselling practice.

As many institutions in the UK consider the
adaptation and adoption of the techniques of
open and distance learning, they are faced with
the issue of quality. In particular they are faced
with making sense of the all-embracing but
rather abstract guidelines from the QAA on
distance learning. The 'Structure, Quality and
Staff Development in Student Support' chapter
could have spent some time looking at the wider
implications of 'quality' implied by bodies such
as the QAA.

Having said that, I am tasked with supporting
staff in my school as it moves towards more
technology-supported learning and this is clearly
the kind of book I could recommend to my
colleagues - systematic, comprehensive and
practical.

John Traxler
University of Wolverhampton

Lyn Pemberton and Simon Shurville (eds.), Words
on the Web: Computer-mediated Communication,
Exeter Intellect Books, 2000. ISBN: 1-871516-
56-0. Softback, iv+124 pages, £14.95.

New computer-mediated communication tech-
nologies, such as video-conferencing, email and
the Web have provided many different ways to
interact with other people. The Web alone has
spawned chat-rooms, special interest discussion
groups and marketing opportunities. This book
considers the emergence and development of
novel linguistic and social conventions for using
these media. Some of the papers in the book
were specially commissioned, some were adapted



Ak-j Volume 9 Number 2

from presentations at a workshop in Computer-
mediated Communication (CMC) organized by
one of the editors (LP) at the Sociolinguistics
Symposium in Cardiff in 1997. Others are
developed from presentations at the Writing and
Computers Conference run by both editors in
Brighton, also in 1997. I found some of the
papers slightly dated, given the exponential
growth of Web access and use in the public
domain in the last two years with the advent of
free Internet service providers (ISPs) and un-
metered Web access.

So, what are the objectives of this book?
According to the introduction: "The aim has
been to give coverage of as wide a range of
approaches and phenomena possible at every
level of interest to students of language, from
the mechanics of replicating paralinguistic
features in email to the pragmatics of multi-
lingual communication and from the grammat-
ical features of Web page anchor text to the
negotiation of meaning in an email discussion
on traditional song.' The approach is certainly
wide-ranging, spanning experimental psycho-
linguistics, systemic linguistics, social identity
theory and conversation analysis.

The book comprises twelve chapters, which are
split into two distinct sections. The first section
covers the issues of new language structures used
in networked and computer-supported commu-
nication (such as the hypertext link mechanism
that is discussed in Chapter 1). The second
section of the collection focuses on the language-
based behaviours of users of CMC technologies.
Jaime Henriquez in Chapter 1 analyses the
differences between traditional print media and
Web communication. The focus of this analysis
is via hypertext links. These links are the
connections between a point on one Web page
and another. He concludes that this directional
linking and the palimpsest display place a
greater load on the reader to supply context.
Chapter 2 discusses knowledge content and
narrative structure in terms of conversation
theory. In Chapter 3, Einat Amitay tries to
identify emerging linguistic characteristics of
Web pages, concluding that consistent authoring
choices are being made by Web authors to
explain context. Chapter 4, by Helmut Gruber, is
entitled 'Scholarly email discussion list postings:
a single new genre of academic commu-
nication?'. Gruber analyses two lists, ETHNO
and LINGUIST, and concludes that scholarly
email discussions do form a single genre, which
is characterized by academic letter-writing as

well as oral communication. Chapter 5 (by
Pirkko Raudaskowski) discusses the use of
communicative resources in Internet video-
conferencing between groups of students in
Finland and Sweden, using the CU-SeeMe
system. In the final chapter of Part One, Fouser,
Inoue and Lee discuss the pragmatics of orality
in English, Japanese and Korean computer-
mediated communication. They analyse syn-
chronous chat-room data and asynchronous
public newsgroup postings in all three languages.

Chapter 7 marks the start of Part Two of the
book. In this chapter Zazie Todd and Stephanie
Walker investigate multilingualism on the Net,
and the use of the Web for the support of
language. The following contribution by Sandra
Harrison (Chapter 8) then describes the use of
politeness strategies in an email discussion group
as a means of maintaining the virtual com-
munity. This paper uses Brown and Levinson's
1987 work on politeness and concludes that the
framework can usefully be applied to email
discourse. In Chapter 9 Heather Matthews
addresses the effects of group identity on
discussions in public online forums, comparing a
computer professionals' forum as a concrete
focus forum and a new age discussion group as a
forum with an abstract emotional focus. Next, in
Chapter 10, Sonja Launspach zooms in to the
negotiation of meaning in an Internet discussion
list. She focuses on a single discussion to
demonstrate '. . . some of the difficulties that
participants encounter in deriving the intended
interpretation for utterances in the contextual
environment of Cyberspace'. In Chapter 11,
Jacqueline Taylor attempts a social psycho-
logical analysis of computer-mediated group
interaction. Finally, Luiz Perez-Gonzalez writes
on the interactional implications of computer
mediation in emergency calls, concluding that
electronic data entry forms are restrictive, and
need a more flexible layout. However, computer-
mediated interaction can assist in the detection
of hoax calls.

My overall conclusion about Words on the Web
is that it offers a fascinating overview of the
diversity of approaches to the analysis of ways
in which language is used in computer-mediated
communication. I felt that it lacks cohesion, but
nevertheless provides an interesting introduction
for the language student or Web user.

Linda Clark
University of Glasgow

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