In spite of their increasing prominence and potential value, the extent to which online asynchronous discussions contribute to learning has not yet been clearly determined. As Bullen (1998) concluded, there is “limited empirical support ... for the claims made about the potential of computer conferencing to facilitate higher level thinking” (p. 7). Likewise, Garrison, Anderson and Archer (2000) argue that, in spite of the perceived potential of computer-mediated communication and computer conferencing, their effects on learning and its outcomes have not yet been well investigated. Not surprisingly, according to Gunawardena, Lowe and Anderson (1997), the use of computer conferencing and online discussions has “...outstripped the development of theory” creating a need to determine ways of evaluating the quality of interactions and of learning in such contexts