Drawing on complexity theory, this work discusses the complex dynamics and emergent patterns of on-line learning communities based on a doctoral study in the area of Applied Linguistics. The analysis will center on the interlocutions of fifty students who interacted in small groups without the teacher's direct intervention, in an undergraduate course offered by the School of Languages and Literature at the Federal University of Minas Gerais. By analyzing the data, I demonstrate that out of the interactions among the peers of autonomous on-line learning communities arise opportunities for the construction of shared meaning, distributed leadership, as well as other dynamics. I also demonstrate the fractal nature of these communities. Moreover, I discuss how these findings shed light on the creation and development of course designs for large groups.
on-line pedagogical design; technology; complexity