This case study demonstrates how the design goals of an online environment do not fully reflect the actual user experience. The online service, developed by a private company, aims to foster positive attitudes in the everyday lives of 16- to 18-year-old students enrolled in a college of secondary vocational education. The basic premise for the online site is to motivate and encourage students through interactions with fellow students in the online forum.

The study collected data throughout the academic year and focused on understanding the interactions taking place between participants. While the number of posts to the forum gives a superficial view of the interactions, the important point is the relationships that develop between students and the forum moderator. Because students were asked to post to the forum, they tended to associate this activity with school.

The results from the case study reveal a difference in linguistic and textual elements between students and the moderator, which the designers did not anticipate. These findings highlight the generation gap between the users and the site designers, as digital natives use technology in different ways. Finally, the study demonstrates how a sensitive administrative approach by the moderator can mitigate the negative aspects of a forum controlled by users with different digital experiences and skills.

I would recommend this paper to educators involved in moderating online forums for older teenage students in high school and vocational education.