The statement above might indicate confusion on the part of the student as to the role of the discussion forum in her learning and whether participation is a matter of giving or taking, helping others, or developing her own thinking. Once again the third person is evident as the student describes contributions to the discussion forum being something “you would look at in a different light.”
Some students expressed anxiety that others poached more than contributed ideas. This brought up issues of knowledge acquisition versus knowledge sharing, as one student explained:
There was one discussion that I put on something about transition to school. I said too much, because a few people later said, “That’s a great idea I might do the same as you.” I’m thinking, “That’s not what it’s about.” I got a little bit peeved with that so, I’ve changed my topic. I thought people took it a bit too far, I mean too much information can be shared. (Student, 2009)