Information Science Reference Anonymity and Learning in Digitally Mediated Communications: Authenticity and Trust in Cyber Education

The anonymity inherent in cyber education impacts the way learners interact in online environments. While this sense of anonymity may free individuals to express themselves or create a new self, technology affords ways to capture, track and scrutinize patterns of interaction. There are legal ramifications and concerns behind this game of alter egos and emerging social mores. Anonymity and Learning in Digitally Mediated Communications: Authenticity and Trust in Cyber Education investigates the impact of anonymity and its effects on online identity and learning. A close examination of the implications of anonymity in cyber education reveals issues of authenticity and trust, which are at the heart of online learning.