Freeman, Mark, and Anne Bamford. "Student choice of anonymity for learner identity in online learning discussion forums." International Journal on E-learning. Vol. 3. No. 3. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2004.

This paper explores the role of learner identity in online learning environments, focusing on its strategic use in asynchronous discussion forums. It examines how learners adopt and reconfigure their identities through online role-plays or pseudonymous postings. A case study in a professional higher education context reveals patterns such as high engagement from a small subset of students, self-response, and peer impersonation. The findings highlight the popularity of anonymity for clarifying expectations, especially in new courses, and provide insights into when and how to integrate learner identity choices into online learning strategies.