Carla Meskill is Professor, Department of Education Theory and Practice at the University of Albany, State University of New York, USA.

This edited volume is a welcome contribution to the body of scholarship on online learning -- and in particular to language learning, which is heavily represented across the chapters. Meskill has brought together a collection of studies that highlight the role that agency, environment and social practices play in the learning process. Covering technologies ranging from Second Life to wikis, and discursive elements ranging from introductions to humor, these studies are engaging and highlight the diverse ways in which discussion-based learning may occur.

• Introduction: Sociocultural Research Perspectives for Online Teaching and Learning, Carla MeskillPart 1: Diversity/Identity Online1. Balancing Multiple Discourses in the U.S. Distance Learning Context:A Case of a Chinese Student, Gulnara Sadykova2. Projection of Teacher Identity in Introductory Posts: a Critical Discourse Analysis of Strategies of Online Self-Presentation, Denis SamburskiyPart 2: Shifts in Practice3. An Exploration of Three-Dimensional Virtual Worlds through ESL/EFL Teachers’ Perspectives in Second Life, Ozan Varli4. Collaboration Unpacked: Tasks, Tools, and Activities, Andreas Lund5. Synchronous Online Language Teaching: Strategies to Support Learner Development, Iryna Kozlova and Evon ZundelPart 3: Shifts in Participation6. The Educational Value of Student Talk in Online Discussions, Sedef Uzuner and Ruchi Mehta7. Focusing on the social: Research into the distributed knowledge of novice teachers in online exchange, Melinda Dooly8. Perceptions of Humor in Oral Synchronous Online Environments, Natasha Anthony9. Face-to-face and Online ELL Writing Tutorials: A Comparison, Jason VickersPart 4: Informal Online Learning10. Rapport Management and Online Learning: L2 Socialization in Livemocha, Adrienne Gonzalez11. “We don’t have to always post stuff to help us learn”: Informal Learning Through Social Networking in a Beginners’ Chinese group, Marie-Noelle LamyIndex