7. Group dynamics in virtual communities: Reformulation process as a dialogical device

Abstract

This paper  presents a methodological reflection about the study of virtual and blended communities. By adopting a dialogical approach, the paper proposes the analysis of reformulations to explore psychosocial group processes within blended communities, characterized by the mixture of online and offline interactions. The method represents an innovative use of reformulation analysis, traditionally used in dyadic interactions of clinical setting. The study illustrates the prospects of this methodological innovation which implies an extension of categories' range; examples from a research work on a community of university students attending a blended course support such a description.