
We present a study exploring learning in an informal online community (OC) for
foodservice professionals according to three planes (i.e., community, interpersonal, and
individual planes). Among these planes, this paper focuses on the interpersonal plane (i.e.,
how do participants interact with each other and what do they share through their
interactions?) and highlight the importance of initiators’ roles and the subsequent interaction
patterns. To investigate interaction and learning processes, we collected 227 discussion
threads posted in the year 2006, analyzed them through a multi-layered analysis approach, and
graphically presented the results to show the complex components of interactions at a glance.
Finally, we discuss the characteristics of interaction and learning processes in this OC and the
relationship between initiators roles and interaction patterns.