Education and most instances of learning are recognized as social practices. Social learning is the process of learning from interactions with peers, teachers and models. Social theories of learning show how learning takes place through participation in activities and that individual development is shown through our ability to contribute to valued practices within social contexts. This "turn to the social" in our understanding of learning, the learner and the learning context raises challenges for online learning systems that are frequently characterized as lacking social interaction or a sense of social presence. Therefore, systems and methods are needed for online learning that enable and support social practices, and the design and implementation of these systems must include mechanisms that make these practices visible to the students, teachers and designers. In a related research study, we explore how trust facilitates interactions for successful social learning and, thereby, mediates online social learning outcomes. In this study, we are focusing on how trust mediates the social construction of learning in an online context. The nature of text-based communication in online learning can also be viewed as a strength and research opportunity. Specifically, the documented nature of learners' interactions provides traces of their learning; in essence, it makes their learning visible. This paper reports on the preliminary findings of a research study on "Making Learning Visible in the Context of Online Social Learning." The purpose of this study is to gain insights into online learners' understandings of how trust shapes their negotiation of moments of learning. We focus on the micro-sociological level of social interaction as our unit of analysis and take a qualitative interview approach to develop thick descriptions of learners' understanding of the progression of their learning during learning negotiations. We use the research findings of previous studies of trust and Reggio-inspired learning and research. The latter provides guidance on making learning visible and visible listening. Prior research findings provide general guidelines, as sensitizing concepts, heuristic ideas, to point us in the 'directions along which to look' as we interview online social learners. The findings from this study will provide insights into the characteristics of interactions that reveal the occurrence of social learning.
