Two notes before going to sleep:

1- I was pointed to this site by F. Hesse, whom I met at Patrick’s thesis discussion. Still not clear what to do with this, I will check tomorrow:

The Special Priority Program’s aim is to investigate the generic qualities of networked computers as media for knowledge communication. It does not aim to superficially compare certain technical solutions or to globally contrast those settings using media with those using none. Instead, our research focuses on the basic underlying mechanisms of human interaction with technology.
The results of our research will help to generate theoretical concepts that bridge the gap between the ‘mainstream’ theories of the participating disciplines and research on CSCL (computer supported collaborative learning).
It goes without saying that the basic approach of the research program does not stand in the way of conclusions being drawn for a better application and implementation of communication technologies. On the contrary: Recommendations on how to design tools better adapted to human demands and limitations can be made on a more solid basis.

2- Jakkob pointed me to this interesting paper by Koshmann about reconsidering Common Ground: an examination of Clark’s Contribution Theory. Interesting …