Publications

Drs. Leonard, Withers, Sherblom, and Smith have an active research agenda investigating instruction in virtual environments as well as aspects of identity, group collaboration, and interpersonal communication within Second Life^®, a virtual world.

Here are some of their most recent collaborative publications:

Sherblom, J. C., Withers, L. A., Leonard, L. G., & Smith, J. S. (forthcoming). Virtual team communication norms: Modeling the mediating influences of relational trust, presence, and identity on conversational interactivity, openness, and satisfaction. In K. Lakkaraju & G. Sukthankar (Eds.), Social interaction in virtual worlds. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press.

Leonard, L. G., Sherblom, J. C., Withers, L. A., & Smith, J. S. (2015). Training effective virtual teams: Presence, identity, communication openness, and conversational interactivity. Connexions, 3 (1), 11-46.

Sherblom, J. C., Withers, L. A., & Leonard, L. G. (2013). The influence of computer-mediated communication (CMC) competence on computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in online classroom discussions. Human Communication, 16(1), 31- 39.

Leonard, L. G., Withers, L. A., & Sherblom, J. C. (2011). The paradox of computer-mediated communication and identity: Peril, promise, and Second Life^®. In Management Association, USA, I. (Ed.), Virtual communities: Concepts, methodologies, tools, and applications (pp. 1559-1575). doi: 10.4018/978-1-60960-100-3.ch431 (reprint).

Leonard, L. G., Withers, L. A., & Sherblom, J. C. (2011). Collaborating virtually: Using Second Life^® to teach collaboration. Communication Teacher, 25 (1), 63-68.

Withers, L. A., Leonard, L. G., & Sherblom, J. C. (2010). Classrooms without walls: Teaching together in Second Life^®. In L. Shedletsky & J. E. Aitken (Eds.), Cases on online discussion and interaction: Experiences and outcomes (pp. 88-104). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Leonard, L. G., Withers, L. A., & Sherblom, J. C. (2010). The paradox of computer-mediated communication and identity: Peril, promise, and Second Life^®. In J. Park & E. Abels (Eds.), Interpersonal relations and social patterns in communication technology: Discourse norms, language structures and cultural variables (pp.1-17). Hershey, PA: IGI Global.

Sherblom, J. C., Withers, L. A., & Leonard, L. G. (2009). Communication challenges and opportunities for educators using Second Life^®. In C. Wankel & J. Kingsley (Eds.), Higher education in virtual worlds: Teaching and learning in Second Life^® (pp. 29-46). Bingley, UK: Emerald.