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From Interaction to Intersubjectivity: Facilitating Online Group Discourse Processes
Distance Education
Abstract
This article examines the online discourse that took place in representative threads from two classes, seeking to document indicators that students did or did not engage in co‐construction of knowledge. Stahl's (2006) social theory of computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is used along with discourse analysis methods to examine these course dialogues. Findings show the class that had a peer‐like, consistent facilitative instructor and discussion anchored around questions and shared artifacts was more likely to engage in discussion leading to the negotiation of knowledge and understanding. This class relied on social acknowledgements, questions, and shared exploration of perspectives and theories throughout their discussion. These elements and strategies appear to be important components that make up for lower levels of tacit understanding in online environments, thus enabling learners to interact in social learning processes. The other class, which lacked a facilitative instructor, did not have the same results. Although interaction levels were equal and students carried topical motifs such as the phrase “faster, better, cheaper” from message to message, students in this other class did not engage deeply or develop new understanding of the course material through the discussion.
... Rather, it represents a psychological state in which two or more people share a deep mutual understanding that allows them to smoothly engage in interdependent dialogues and tasks. In this sense, interaction is the gateway to intersubjectivity, as it is necessary for intersubjectivity to develop (Dennen & Wieland, 2007). Learners can post messages on the same forum and respond to each other nominally or via threading and it would count as interaction. ...
... The structure of the course and discussions were prominent in several articles (Barbera, 2006;Lim & Hall, 2015;Lim et al., 2017), including one that compared cooperative and collaborative group styles (Rose, 2004). Other studies focused on facilitation (Dennen, 2005;Gibson, 2013;Szabo, 2015), and reviewed the roles of teachers and instructors (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Onrubia & Engel, 2012), especially when those roles are compared with peer roles (Barbera, 2006;Oh et al., 2018;Pifarré & Cobos, 2010;Szabo, 2015). Similarly, scripts were considered as a device that helps both instructors and students have productive interactions in mediated environment (Mahardale & Lee, 2013;Onrubia & Engel, 2012). ...
... The other two articles in this cluster are Schneider and Pea (2013), which is cited by Vogler et al. (2017) in addition to Alterman and Harsch (2017). The final cluster of twelve interlinked articles is primarily composed of articles citing Dennen (2005; three citations) and Dennen and Wieland (2007;seven citations). Altebarmakian and Alterman (2019) This sample of articles also has broader impact in the field as evident by overall citation counts. ...
Many online learning experiences integrate some form of dialogic interaction among instructors and learners. However, the degree to which these individuals come to a mutual understanding of their task and topic, a phenomenon called intersubjectivity, often remains a question. This systematic review of online learning research examines 48 peer-reviewed journal articles published between 2004 and 2021, looking at the overall trajectory of the research conversation across time, disciplines, modality and learning activities; major trends in methods, and focus; and interconnectedness. Findings suggest a dispersed body of literature, with some small groups of interconnected work but little cohesion or traction as a research field. This review has implications for future researchers in this area, who are encouraged to synthesize across this body of research and work together to establish and pursue an agenda for the field that will not only further inquiry in this area but also lead to practical knowledge about learning activity design and facilitation that is useful to online instructors.
... Taking a social learning perspective, Dennen and Wieland (2007) argue that the online context enables the creation of new knowledge where instructors engage participants as peers, something more easily achieved in the executive classroom given the common professional background/expectations. Under this perspective group process underpins the development of tacit knowledge supportive of knowledge creation and ultimately capable of taking the form of longer term achievement of learning outcomes. ...
... Specifically, the present framework builds on the argument that instructor and groups are engaged in a dynamic interplay (Muller and Wulf, 2020;Bakki et al., 2020) and highlights the nature of routine and process building in the supporting of instructor capability development. Hence, while acknowledging the fundamental importance of instructor capability in facilitating learning through group interventions (Dennen and Wieland, 2007;Com et al., 2011), the framework moves a step further in arguing that both instructors and school administration must contemplate instructor capability as evolving over time and in a context which may exhibit varying levels from supporting routine and process formation, to damaging such formation. The centrality of institutional context in such formation is highlighted in the framework, and while previously argument for the importance of administrative and resourcing constraints and culture (Fornaciari et al., 2017) are retained, the framework argues the need to contemplate levels of agency and consultation in enabling instructor capability. ...
... Finally, at the level of group process, the framework builds on previous studies highlighting the opportunities in both social and technological co-ordination and development of groups in the online classroom (Smith and Keaveney, 2017;Dennen and Wieland, 2007) and yet is challenged by recent arguments around alterations in the nature of group process and behaviour resulting from demands for greater collaboration (Galletly and Carciofo, 2010;Muller and Wulf, 2020;Verstegen et al., 2018). Reflecting the uncertainty and limited research in the area and the posited opportunities from collaboration in online learning, a research question is proposed here for future research is: How is classroom collaboration developed in the context of online business education? ...
Purpose
This paper aims to investigate the interaction of the relationships between group behaviour, group process and learning outcomes in online executive education.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic review of literature in the relevant conceptual domains is performed.
Findings
A framework is proposed from the systematic review and proposes a dynamic classroom environment where instructor capability interacts with group process and behaviour to generate new learning outcomes. The impact of institutional context and technology infrastructure are highlighted as drivers of both the classroom and instructor effectiveness.
Research limitations/implications
The systematic review highlights several future research trajectories posing the questions: How disruptive innovation impacts on instructor capability development? How alternative theories explain the routines underpinning instructor capability? What is the role of external partners in the development of learning in context? What is the nature of instructor innovation capability? and How does instructor technology capability impact on learning outcomes?
Practical implications
Human resource development practitioners are presented with insights as to their existing and potential future roles in enhancing group behaviour, process and learning outcomes in executive classrooms impacted by technological change. The subsequent potential for practitioner enabled learning innovation is highlighted.
Originality/value
This paper contributes to contemporary debates regarding the interaction of emerging technologies and the executive online classroom, specifically focusing on the area of group behaviour process and learning.
... However, neither all learners' participation and interaction spontaneously exhibit in-depth reflection and critical reasoning, nor does active interaction in asynchronous online discussion activities necessarily elicit a meaningful social construction of knowledge (Akyol and Garrison 2011;Darabi and Jin 2013;Dennen and Wieland 2007;Garrison et al. 2001;Hew et al. 2010). With conventional discussion methods (e.g., asking probing questions) students often engage in surface-level thinking in discussions by displaying agreement without substantiation, exchanging information, or exploring ideas without further synthesis Garrison et al. 2001;Garrison and Cleveland-Innes 2005;Garrison and Arbaugh 2007;Richardson and Ice 2010). ...
... With conventional discussion methods (e.g., asking probing questions) students often engage in surface-level thinking in discussions by displaying agreement without substantiation, exchanging information, or exploring ideas without further synthesis Garrison et al. 2001;Garrison and Cleveland-Innes 2005;Garrison and Arbaugh 2007;Richardson and Ice 2010). Social construction of knowledge requires active learner engagement as well as a higher level of thinking skills beyond students' initial level of comfort in critical thinking (Dennen and Wieland 2007;Shea and Bidjerano 2009). In that sense, discussions should be structured in a way to allow learners to interact with each other and the course material ''at deep (as opposed to surface) levels, which lead toward negotiation and internalization of knowledge'' (Dennen and Wieland 2007, p. 283). ...
... Facilitating discourse is considered to be an important task and responsibility of online instructors (Clarke and Bartholomew 2014;Hara et al. 2000;Phirangee et al. 2016). First, instructor facilitation can affect how students interact with each other in online discussions (Dennen and Wieland 2007;Phirangee et al. 2016). Instructor facilitation can further help students integrate their ideas and reduce the possibility of discussions ending prematurely or straying from the topic (Hewitt 2005). ...
The purpose of this paper is to explore and compare learners’ critical thinking and interaction during an asynchronous online discussion when peer- or instructor-facilitation was provided. Current literature on online discussion reveals a controversy between peer facilitation and instructor facilitation regarding their strengths and weaknesses. However, the effect of peer-facilitation on critical thinking learning outcome has not been clearly discussed. Situated in a graduate-level program evaluation course, the learners engaged in a debate using a scenario-based case on ethical decision-making. A content analysis of discussion using the Cognitive Presence framework and a social network analysis revealed a significant difference between peer-redirected group and instructor-redirected group in their cognitive presence as well as in interaction dynamic upon receiving the redirection message. Based on findings regarding cognitive presence level, interaction dynamic and perspective change on the debate topic in each group, a peer-facilitation approach is more effective for fostering critical thinking and collaborative discourse.
... The results also showed that by changing the informational infrastructure of the classroom, we created new challenges for instructors. The injunction to be "guide on the side" (King, 1993) is widespread, but by no means unproblematic (Bock et al., 2021;Dennen et al., 2007). Both "Are instructors able and willing to use TS?" and "Does TS reinfrastructure the classroom?" ...
... Classes often require students to participate in discussion forums and threads by posting opinions and responses to other people's opinions. Many of these permit a superficial form of participation without encouraging depth (Dennen et al., 2007). ...
ThoughtSwap (TS) technology can be used to change the infrastructure of conversation by changing the information available to instructors and students in the classroom. It can provide a subtle invitation towards conscientious discourse. Unlike other attempts to mediate interaction, this approach emphasizes focused, punctuated moments of attention to one's own and other people's ideas. It creates different starting places for whole class or small group discussions. 49%-100% of students participated in the initial entry of ideas over the course of the semester in 25 classes with nine instructors. Instructors adapted and adopted TS to garner different kinds of information and use that information to seed more conscientious forms of classroom discourse.
... Angeli, Valanides and Bonk (2003), for example, study the communication element in a web-based conferencing system known as 'Conferencing on the Web' (COW). Dennen and Wieland (2007), on the other hand, explain the facilitation of online group discourse processes through the use of the discussion boards; while Webb, et al. (2004) earlier report on the use of discussion forums to support online dialogue. ...
... In a nutshell, the three examples (Angeli, Valanides & Bonk, 2003;Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Webb et al., 2004) show the emergence of the online dialogue in facilitating learning. However, none of them discusses the use of online dialogue in the ESL context. ...
Having the ability to communicate has been such a crucial aim in the teaching and learning of ESL. Nevertheless, in reaching the target, the ESL context has encountered various issues concerning individual differences. These include learners' personalities, motivation as well as learning styles and strategies. Questions have emerged whether the introverts and the less motivated ESL learners really learn the language, particularly in terms of the ability to communicate using English. It is therefore seen that having a dialogic teaching and learning pedagogical method, which caters to learners' variety is highly required. Being in a technology-equipped epoch, YouTube has been discovered to be such a possible tool to aid learners' dialogic ability. This paper provides an insight on how YouTube could possibly contribute to the enhancement of the ESL teaching and learning hence produce more learners with communicative skill. It therefore discusses how YouTube may be utilized albeit the challenges faced, in the Malaysian ESL teaching and learning context.
... These results highlight the limited efficiency of the Twitter conversations as a medium for informative communicative exchanges [17]. Such findings support the view that informative or instructive conversational exchanges need to be supported as they do not spontaneously form [16] [29]. In more conventional online learning environments, many tools are at the disposal of educational platform providers and distance learning instructors to support interaction and learning and facilitate discursive exchanges from optimizing social learning network algorithmically [16] to embedding discursive exchanges in online activities and artefacts [29]. ...
... Such findings support the view that informative or instructive conversational exchanges need to be supported as they do not spontaneously form [16] [29]. In more conventional online learning environments, many tools are at the disposal of educational platform providers and distance learning instructors to support interaction and learning and facilitate discursive exchanges from optimizing social learning network algorithmically [16] to embedding discursive exchanges in online activities and artefacts [29]. ...
This paper presents a social learning network analysis of Twitter during the 2020 global shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Research concerning online learning environments is focused on the reproduction of conventional teaching arrangements, whereas social media technologies afford new channels for the dissemination of information and sharing of knowledge and expertise. We examine Twitter feed around the hashtags #onlinelearning and #onlineteaching during the global shutdown to examine the spontaneous development of online learning communities. We find relatively small and ephemeral communities on the two topics. Most users make spontaneous contributions to the discussion but do not maintain a presence in the Twitter discourse. Optimizing the social learning network, we find many potential efficiencies to be gained through more proactive efforts to connect knowledge seekers and knowledge disseminators. Considerations and prospects for supporting online informal social learning networks are discussed.
... Intersubjectivity is commonly approached quite narrowly, as the shared understanding of meanings (Dennen & Wieland, 2007), or a form of social cognition, an alignment of subjectivities akin to participatory sense-making (Gallagher, 2009). However as is clearly the case in political discourse, people interact even as they hold vastly divergent understandings of the world, and conflict is essentially engagement with the other that, lacking synergy, becomes detrimental. ...
... The identification of emergent intersubjectivity among participants within the design interventions offers the clearest evidence of the workings of agonism and design. Games, storytelling, Interaction Design, the Third Place and almost every other aspect of agonism, and all of the constructions of the design research are socially situated (Dourish, 2001;Suchman, 1987), take their meaning from interacting with others, and are closely linked to intersubjectivity (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Ho & Lee, 2012;Jackson, 2002). The primary focus of identity in this thesis is social and emergent within the immediate interactions and context, dependent on the identity and participation of co-present others (Bucholtz & Hall, 2005). ...
Design has the potential to disrupt the status quo, yet disruption inevitably introduces new conflicts. One of the challenges of Social Design is to navigate the social, political and material conflicts that define contemporary lives and find new ways to transform them into creative resources. In addressing that challenge this thesis investigates agonism, a multifaceted theory that explicates conflict and grounds the need for such an investigation in design activism. The political implications, practical considerations and design potentials of agonism are examined in detail, and three core principles of agonism are defined: Identities, Dialogues and Agonistic Space. These principles are elaborated through their relation to intersubjectivity as a fundamental aspect of human experience, its interactional role in identity formation and communication, and its influence on the production and performance of space. A Constructive Design Research methodology is employed that contributes to the understanding agonism through a series of research trajectories and interventions. Design strategies to enact agonism are proposed around game, play and interaction design: Identities can be investigated through Role-Playing, Dialogues can be initiated through Storytelling, and Agonistic Space can be manifested as a Third Place. These strategies are field tested to examine various communities and the conflicts within them. A game intervention Mind the Gap confronts the endemic problem of the gender gap in academic and professional communities of ICT and STEM. A research intervention takes agonistic perspectives to elucidate conflicts of European migration and participatory urban planning in a neighbourhood community in the U.K. A digital intervention applies agonism towards engaging a platform community that has no material form, in the online project of commonfare.net. These interventions experiment with creative inquiry, game and play as design speculations, sketching and constructing playful inerventions that engage participants in agonism, to enact challenges to the status quo and illuminate potential solutions to complex societal issues. The utility and outcomes of the principles and strategies are evaluated with a focus on emergent intersubjectivity through Dialogic Syntax and Critical Discourse Analyses of gameplay, narratives and design artifacts. The main contributions of this thesis are its shift from empathic perspectives to intersubjectivity in design research, and its operationalization of the theory of agonism for Social Design. Secondary contributions include the elaboration of game and play as design speculation that includes critical reflections on their real-world practices, and the artifact Mind the Gap which has evolved from prototype to a co-created, community driven experience that continues to engage people in meaningful dialogues that challenge the status quo of the gender gap. 4
... A s institutions of higher education offer increasing numbers of courses online, instructors are faced with the challenge of designing their online courses to foster the kind of deep learning that might be achieved in a face-to-face course. The use of discussion is a common pedagogical tool for online learning; however, designing for high-quality online discussions is often viewed as perplexing-for students who have difficulty engaging in deep conversations and reflective contributions related to course content (Dennen & Wieland, 2007)-and for instructors who do not feel prepared to teach online (Keengwe & Kidd, 2010). Tools such as online discussions are recognized as useful for supporting student learning, but instructors' limited knowledge of how to design for such affordances inhibits them from designing and using innovative technologies (Borthwick & Hansen, 2017;Collins & Halverson, 2010). ...
... Although researchers have highlighted the significance of peer interaction and the instructor's teaching presence as a means to facilitate learning in the online environment (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005), it is important to understand the qualitative nature of high-quality online interaction from the students themselves. This study examines preservice teachers' experiences of learning in student-led asynchronous online discussions within a classroom management course for preservice teachers. ...
The purpose of this article is to investigate preservice teachers' (PSTs') perceptions about the features that facilitated their learning and engagement in asynchronous online discussions. Participants included 12 PSTs enrolled in an online classroom management course at a public university in New England. Using constructivist grounded theory guidelines to analyze focus-group interview data, the main findings were that asynchronous dialogue, defined discussion roles, unchanging small groups, and autonomy supported PSTs' learning about classroom management. This study extends existing literature by helping teacher educators understand the features of online discussions that PSTs find to support their learning about teaching. As teacher educators increasingly teach online, intentionally structuring learning experiences such as online discussions becomes imperative to bolstering PST learning.
... Bora's informal participation on the social media platform influenced the students' engagement level. This is an important element that should be seen in an online learning community because one of the previous studies showed that although the learners participated actively in an online learning activity, a close examination of their posts showed that there was no referring to one another in the absence of any teacher support; hence, there was no discussion (Dennen & Wieland, 2007). A teacher's participation as a learner is, therefore found to be an important factor that leads learners to try to engage with one another. ...
p>This qualitative case study explores how a teacher positions himself in a social networking platform to create a learning environment in a secondary school science class in Turkiye. Sixty-six students’ and their science teacher’s interactions on a social networking platform have been observed for one year and nine months. Online and face-to-face interviews, online participant observation, and documentation were used for data generation during the first nine months. The data was analysed with an inductive thematic approach. The results revealed that the teacher created a sustainable online learning platform through four main communication acts: Initiative, Reflective, Supportive, and Informative. In particular, the teacher’s initiative and supportive behaviours in the online platform increased student engagement and created a sense of care. Regarding the student’s engagement, the teacher’s communicative acts’ informal nature is perceived as more important by the students than the type of communication itself. It was underlined that there is a need to redefine middle school teachers’ presence in a social media platform where the effectiveness of learning increases if they become an `insider` rather than an instructor.
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... Active participation in experimental design and execution enabled intuitive engagement and promoted research project ownership, resulting in a more meaningful experience for participants. Active learning has been shown to enhance STEM-related skills, and a peer-like relationship between students and instructors makes the learning environment more comfortable and enjoyable (43)(44)(45)(46). These reports are consistent with the overall improvement in both scientific reasoning skills and attitudes toward science, indicating that the LSRIP is an effective education model enhancing life science research skills and STEM career development. ...
A predicted rapid growth in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) careers demands a vast and talented workforce, but students most commonly abandon STEM majors within the first 2 years of college. Performance in introductory courses, scientific literacy, and the ability to critically reason are main predictors of retention in STEM, highlighting the importance of precollege and early college experience. The Life Science Research Immersion Program (LSRIP) is a novel science education model that focuses on the development of scientific research skills, thus preparing students for introductory college courses and beyond. To evaluate the efficacy of the LSRIP, pre- and postprogram assessments and surveys were administered to three precollege student cohorts. Scientific reasoning assessment scores improved by 4.70% in Summer 2019 (P < 0.01), 9.44% in Fall 2019 (P < 0.05), and 0.97% in Winter 2020 cohorts, with two of five questions showing statistically significant improvement. Surveyed attitudes toward science improved in 62.9% of questions across all cohorts. These results suggest that research immersion experiences are an effective educational instrument for improving and promoting scientific reasoning and attitudes among precollege students. To better prepare students for success in STEM higher education and careers, we recommend implementing LSRIPs to complement traditional precollege science curricula.
... from passive, instructor dominated pedagogy to active, learner-centered activities promised to take students to deeper levels of understanding and meaning as they apply what they are learning to real-life examples in the company of others" (Tagg, 2003). Prior to this study, Dennen and Wieland (2007) found when a professor consistently facilitates real world experience; students are more engaged in learning. ...
The purpose of this international study was to contrast the differences in graduate student perceptions of professor pedagogical content knowledge, individualized consideration, Student-Professor Engagement in Learning, professor intellectual stimulation, and student deep learning. Sixty-seven graduate business and 70 graduate education students from two professional associations and four universities responded to the survey. The results indicated there was a significant difference between business and education stu-dents' perceptions on Student-Professor Engagement in Learning and deep learning.
... However, scientists, researchers, and physicians work very hard in this regard, as the initiative to alleviate the pandemic promises to raise a ray of hope (Nguyen et al., 2020). Dennen and Wieland (2007) research showed that students who participate in BL lack social interaction and promotion. Previous work highlighted BL's preferences to individual students (Owston et al., 2013). ...
Blended Learning (BL) essentially fuses high-tech digital learning with traditional ones to involve students in “network learning”, which helps in transcending physical boundaries. Especially during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, BL has been embraced as a realistic possibility to ensure seamless knowledge distribution regardless of time and space. Knowledge Management (KM)-based approaches are typically used to collect, coordinate, and control processes that may be utilised efficiently to both recognise and address customer needs. This study aims to explain how to apply KM techniques within the BL environment to increase educational excellence and quality. We used a quantitative approach, specifically by adopting an online questionnaire circulated to about 272 undergraduate students, primarily from the Department of Information Science and Library Management (ISLM) of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. We received completed answers from 74 students; the data gathered were analysed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 20. The findings reveal that KM can be used with BL, especially during crisis times like the one we have today, as it includes integrated tasks and online and e-learning. Finally, the study also proposed an intuitive model for applying BL through KM. Importantly, this study seems to be among the first to examine the students’ perceptions about BL and KM integration during a pandemic. Therefore, this research would possibly prompt further research on different aspects of the combined learning process at different universities, especially within Bangladesh.
... En el caso de los foros, es necesario destacar que los participantes utilicen de forma explícita y consensuada estrategias o habilidades de coordinación y colaboración. Este esfuerzo, favorece la adquisición de habilidades cognitivas y metacognitivas, las que juegan un papel esencial en los procesos de aprendizaje (Kupczynski et al, 2011;Dennen y Wieland, 2007). Se constata, por una parte, que a menudo los participantes no utilizan las posibilidades de comunicación y colaboración que ofrecen estas herramientas; y por otra, que la existencia de una participación elevada de intercambios comunicativos entre los participantes no conduce necesariamente al desarrollo de aprendizaje colaborativo, ni garantiza el logro de mejores resultados (Chávez et al, 2016). ...
The purpose of this study is to develop behavioral profiles, by considering elements of learning ecology, of first-year higher education students that participate in collaborative discussion forums on a digital environment. To determine student profiles, student inputs are analyzed according to two dimensions: 1) message type (content and depth) and 2) context variables that include day of the week, time of the day, and input topic. A descriptive-quantitative analysis is applied. The sample is composed by 43 students enrolled in a computer science course. The results aim to identifying the times of the day and the days of the week that most affect deep learning. Student inputs with the greatest level of depth were attained after 7:00 p.m. In conclusion, this research study identifies learning ecology behavioral profiles that improve deep learning in students.
... This result also points to contextual and pedagogical variations in instructors' actual experiences of a particular dimension of teaching presence. Given that heavy instructor presence in student conversations may discourage student participation (Dennen et al., 2007), online course instructors may consider adopting a more facilitating and guiding role rather than an active or dominant role in the online student discourse. ...
... To improve KM within an enterprise and provide advantages, this paper demonstrates how the e-learning program and e-learning framework could be used (Springer, 2008). The research of Dennen and Wieland (2007) showed that students who participate in BL have a lack of social interaction and promotion. ...
Blended learning (BL) assimilates the best digital high-tech learning and traditional methods that involve students in network learning transcending physical boundaries. It has been embraced as a possibility so that knowledge can be distributed through time and space. KM-based approaches may be used to collect, coordinate, and transmit intelligence to control processes that can be utilized efficiently to recognize and share the most important details to address customer needs. This study aims to explain how to apply KM techniques in the BL environment to increase educational excellence and quality during pandemic situations. The specific consequences of BL actions are also stated in this paper. The quantitative approach was used in this study by using an electronic questionnaire from the students of the department of ISLM of the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh. Among the 272 students in the undergraduate program, 74 students replied to the online survey questionnaire. The gathered data were analyzed using SPSS version 20. The Findings of the study showed that KM can be used with BL during the COVID-19 pandemic, including integrated tasks, classroom instruction, online and e-learning. Finally, the study also proposed an intuitive model for applying BL through KM.
... It might be useful to train students on practices like coaching, mirroring and deep listening (Scharmer, 2015). For collaborative learning approaches involving dialogue with students, the course instructor's consistent facilitation and probing of the co-participants results in the co-construction of knowledge (Dennen and Wieland, 2007), leading to a learning relationship between student and teacher (O'Brien, 2013). This demands a high level of anticipation and contribution on the part of the facilitator so as to streamline the process. ...
... It might be useful to train students on practices like coaching, mirroring and deep listening (Scharmer, 2015). For collaborative learning approaches involving dialogue with students, the course instructor's consistent facilitation and probing of the co-participants results in the co-construction of knowledge (Dennen and Wieland, 2007), leading to a learning relationship between student and teacher (O'Brien, 2013). This demands a high level of anticipation and contribution on the part of the facilitator so as to streamline the process. ...
Purpose
The experience of individuals has a huge potential for management education and development. Specific approaches are required to transform experience into learning. The purpose of this paper is to create a framework of dialogic approach, as a method of experience-based learning, which can be used for transforming the experience into learning.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper uses analytical abstraction and conceptual integration to develop the framework of dialogic approach. Evidence from prior research studies is used as the theoretical background to support the framework.
Findings
Dialogue is important for unravelling the experience and creating learning. Dialogic approach as a tool for experience-based learning is developed by combining reflective, appreciative and generative dialogues in a theoretically consistent sequence.
Practical implications
The proposed framework is operationalised as a three-phase process for delivering the dialogic approach and can be used by educators.
Originality/value
The framework of dialogic approach is unique as it combines different types of dialogues. The framework is independent of context and can be applied globally for management education and development, which is a novel contribution.
... Much research on the role of discussion forums in learning suggests that learners who actively participate tend to perform better than those who do not participate, and that learners who engage with others on the discussion forum are more likely to complete the course [12], [13], [14]. The general conclusions are that discussion forums can reduce dropout, promote higher levels of cognition, and are necessary for deeper levels of learning that go beyond rote memorization of knowledge [6], [15]. However, Chueng and Hew emphasize that the presence of a discussion forum does not guarantee that learners will actively participate, nor will the conversations be of educational value [16]. ...
... Trabajos previos realizados por Dennen y Wieland (2007), Engel y Onrubia (2013), Rimor et al. (2010) y Zhang (2013) ponen de manifiesto que la colaboración del estudiantado en CSCL muchas veces se limita a la acumulación de ideas o agregados de información simples, sin que ello involucre necesariamente una reflexión profunda sobre la información o ideas aportadas; así mismo se ha observado que cuando el estudiantado acelera la entrega de los productos tiende a establecer consensos superficiales sobre los significados de la tarea sin llevar a cabo un ejercicio argumentativo de las ideas. Al parecer, estos resultados no han sido muy alentadores y se ajustan poco a las expectativas proyectadas por los entes directivos de los centros educativos en torno a los beneficios que el CSCL comporta para los aprendizajes del estudiantado. ...
El discurso socioemocional del estudiantado tiene un papel fundamental en el aprendizaje colaborativo en línea, por lo que es necesario que se construya un clima de confianza mutua que permita sostener discusiones profundas, críticas y constructivas sobre los contenidos de la tarea para avanzar en su conocimiento grupal. El objetivo del presente trabajo de investigación fue explorar el discurso socioemocional que los grupos de estudiantes utilizan en distintas fases del proceso de construcción compartida del conocimiento. La investigación se llevó a cabo en una universidad pública mexicana en la que se analizaron procesos colaborativos asíncronos en línea, desarrollados por tres grupos de estudiantes. Mediante la técnica de análisis de contenido se codificaron las contribuciones realizadas por estudiantes en los foros asíncronos de trabajo grupal. Los resultados destacan siete diferentes tipos de discurso socioemocional que los grupos de estudiantes emplean de manera recurrente durante su colaboración y que inciden de manera importante en la construcción del conocimiento. Se concluye que un discurso socioemocional denso, frecuente y heterogéneo, en cuanto a su tipología, sienta las bases necesarias para que los grupos de estudiantes desarrollen procesos colaborativos exitosos y logren altos niveles de construcción compartida del conocimiento.
... These features and other online dynamics call attention to the need for research that explores and characterizes responsiveness online. While there is a significant body of work that has explored instructors' online facilitation (Collison, Elbaum, Haavind, & Tinker, 2000;Dennen, Darabi, & Smith, 2007;Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Nemirovsky & Galvis, 2004;Rovai, 2007;Salmon, 2004), this research has been discipline-general, concluding, for instance, that instructors should "facilitate critical thinking" in discussions by asking questions, providing a landscape of ideas, or introducing new material (Collison et al., 2000). Given the challenges of supporting teachers to meaningfully engage in scientific practices, there is a need to better understand the discipline-specific ways in which instructors facilitate online science PD. ...
Given the widespread adoption of the Next Generation Science Standards in the United States, there is a need to study new models of professional development to prepare teachers to enact practice-based visions of science learning and to address problems of access to reach teachers nationwide. While studies of online professional development offer promise in addressing both of these challenges, there is still much to be learned about how to design and orchestrate these learning environments. In particular, researchers have highlighted instructor facilitation as critical for teacher learning and reflection, yet there is a need for greater specification of online facilitation and how it can achieve targeted professional development goals. In this paper we explore responsive teaching as an approach to facilitating upper elementary and middle school teachers’ scientific engagement in asynchronous online learning environments. Using a case study approach, we examine instructors’ facilitation and teachers’ participation over four weeks in an online threaded discussion forum. This episode was situated within a 12-month hybrid-online professional development program, which had an explicit goal of supporting teachers to experience “doing science” themselves. Building on our prior work showing that the program was successful in fostering teachers’ engagement in scientific practices online, we characterize the responsive nature of instructors’ facilitation and how it supported teachers’ individual and collective inquiry. Our analysis provides an existence proof of a responsive approach to facilitating scientific engagement online and offers insights into the design of online professional development that supports teachers in “doing science.”
... From an epistemological perspective, intersubjectivity is the basis of this mediating role. According to social constructivism, which emphasizes communication and interaction, intersubjectivity constitutes a social meaning (Kim, 1993) that requires intraorganizational participation at various levels (Dennen & Wieland, 2007). Learning encompasses a wider range of activities beyond mere memory storage and extraction; it is an ongoing process of continually revising the meanings derived from experience. ...
This study examined the process by which individual knowledge is transformed into organizational knowledge by clarifying the sensemaking process. Although several earlier studies on organizational learning have argued that knowledge sharing among members is important, research detailing the development of the knowledge‐sharing process is relatively rare. The current study addresses this gap by using a qualitative case study of a Korean government‐funded organization to examine the organizational knowledge‐sharing process. The findings suggest that learning for organizational knowledge generation depends on participation and communication and requires voluntary, dynamic interactions based on intersubjectivity among the organization's members. This study has important theoretical and practical implications for future research on organizational knowledge sharing and provides a new theoretical framework for the field of human resource development.
... 267). En términos empíricos, los estudios sobre la construcción compartida del conocimiento se centran en el aprendizaje y los resultados asociados con el conocimiento de dominio, y las unidades de análisis para valorar la comprensión y la evolución de las ideas son mensajes individuales o secuencias de mensajes establecidas a partir de criterios relativos a los significados asociados a dicho conocimiento (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2001;Reimann, 2009). En la Tabla 1 se muestran como ejemplo de los procesos que se analizan en estas investigaciones un conjunto de indicadores que remiten a formas de uso del lenguaje mediante las cuales los miembros de un grupo avanzan en la construcción compartida del conocimiento; dichos indicadores se retoman de un estudio realizado por Engel y Onrubia (2013), en el que se identifican y describen diversas fases implicadas en esta construcción compartida. ...
La literatura reciente en el ámbito del aprendizaje colaborativo mediado por ordenador (Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning –CSCL–) destaca que un proceso colaborativo eficaz se asocia con la capacidad que tienen los alumnos para regular sus propias actividades. La noción de regulación compartida extiende su concepción del aprendizaje más allá de los procesos cognitivos y sus resultados; regular implica gestionar distintos componentes vinculados con la actividad y el funcionamiento del grupo (procesos vinculados con la estructura de la tarea, con la participación, y con componentes motivacionales). En este artículo se propone un conjunto de rasgos teóricos y empíricos que caracterizan a la regulación compartida como un ámbito de estudio emergente en el campo del CSCL. Dicha propuesta surge de la revisión de la literatura, en donde destacamos la diversidad de marcos teóricos y términos asociados con la regulación del aprendizaje, distinguimos distintos tipos de regulación social en el aprendizaje colaborativo, y distinguimos, desde el marco más amplio del proceso de aprendizaje colaborativo, entre regulación compartida y construcción compartida del conocimiento.
... Students needed appropriate support at the appropriate time -research such as what was carried out by Gatsha and Evans [9], on the perceptions and experiences of open and distance students in Botswana in terms of e-learning support, is therefore essential. In this same vein, Dennen and Wieland [5] investigated moving from interaction to inter-subjectivity when facilitating online group discourse processes in open and distance e-learning contexts, while Nel and Ndeya-Ndereya [29] also highlighted the role of communication in enhancing online social presence. ...
The author introduces an Information and Communication Technologies for Development (ICT4D) Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). A literature review details concepts relating to ICT4D, MOOCs and institutional learning management system technologies, presenting aspects relating to what the pedagogy underlying the course was, and how the course was adapted to a MOOC. A section follows describing the research methodology regarding the design used, and the data collected in student course evaluations of the MOOC. The results discuss demographic particulars for the samples including 2842 respondents from twenty countries. The author e.g. describes what students' overall experience of the course was, and how they communicated with their teaching assistants. Results further highlight students' access to computers, devices and the internet. A results summary concludes the paper.
... It is not clear if instructors would recognize the value of these less visible practices to student learning. Other important elements of course discussions examined by Dennen and Wieland (2007) include social acknowledgements, questions, and the processes involved in interactive discussions, but these are mainly visible components. ...
Despite the growth in online learning offerings in K-12 and higher education, limited research has been undertaken to better understand less visible online learning activities. Reading and rereading are not typically valued as important indicators of learning since number or frequency of entries, words or key phrases are usually visible and easily tracked. This paper addresses reading, writing and revisiting behaviours by cluster groups in eight online courses, and looks for patterns related to rereading. Participant perceptions of the value of rereading entries in online learning are discussed. The findings highlight the importance of a more nuanced understanding of the different roles reading and rereading play in online learning discussions. This research informs our understanding of the importance of non-posting behaviors to student learning. Instructionally, these results may encourage valuing of different “paths” to online learning success beyond the criterion of written entries.Despite the growth in online learning offerings in K-12 and higher education, limited research has been undertaken to better understand less visible online learning activities. Reading and rereading are not typically valued as important indicators of learning since number or frequency of entries, words or key phrases are usually visible and easily tracked. This paper addresses reading, writing and revisiting behaviours by cluster groups in eight online courses, and looks for patterns related to rereading. Participant perceptions of the value of rereading entries in online learning are discussed. The findings highlight the importance of a more nuanced understanding of the different roles reading and rereading play in online learning discussions. This research informs our understanding of the importance of non-posting behaviors to student learning. Instructionally, these results may encourage valuing of different “paths” to online learning success beyond the criterion of written entries.
... Pawan, Paulus, Yalcin, and Chang's (2003) study echoes the findings from Angeli et al.'s (2003) study in its assessment that without the instructor's explicit guidance, students fell into one-way "serial monologues" where they shared opinions but did not connect to other students' contributions in the discussions or course content (e.g., readings, videos). In other words, social interaction within an online discussion does not guarantee that students are engaged in critical discourse, and the instructor plays a critical role in facilitating deep learning in online environments (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Garrison & Cleveland-Innes, 2005;Gorsky & Blau, 2009). Shea, Li, and Pickett (2006) found that students felt the strongest sense of a learning community in courses that are "actively and publicly facilitated by the instructor" and where "parameters and learning activities' are clearly delineated" (pp. ...
Despite the wide use of discussion in online courses, the quality of these exchanges varies. In this article, the authors draw on the community of inquiry (CoI) model to inform the design of what we call “first responder/connector” (FR/C) discussions, which are student-led asynchronous online discussions. The authors propose and describe four instructional design features of the online FR/C discussions that aim to create the conditions for social connections that support learning in teacher education. The authors illustrate these design features in an example of a FR/C discussion thread in a classroom management course. With these features of online discussion design, teacher educators can assist preservice teachers in moving away from superficial discussion responses to more meaningful dialogue and engagement with peers, ultimately leading to greater learning outcomes.
... The use of additional tools such as digital video cases could serve as a prompt for reflective contributions. Digital videos could be one of the ways for overcoming the challenges of engaging students in deep conversations in online discussion forums, which were recognized by Dennen and Wieland (2007). Shared viewing and discussion of the video may help future teachers in learning about and reframing pedagogical problems, interpreting different information sources and thinking critically about different pedagogical issues (Christ, Arya & Chiu, 2015). ...
... from passive, instructor dominated pedagogy to active, learner-centered activities promised to take students to deeper levels of understanding and meaning as they apply what they are learning to real-life examples in the company of others" (Tagg, 2003). Prior to this study, Dennen and Wieland (2007) found when a professor consistently facilitates real world experience; students are more engaged in learning. ...
The purpose of this international study was to contrast the differences in graduate student perceptions of professor pedagogical content knowledge, individualized consideration, Student-Professor Engagement in Learning, professor intellectual stimulation, and student deep learning. Sixty-seven graduate business and 70 graduate education students from two professional associations and four universities responded to the survey. The results indicated there was a significant difference between business and education stu-dents' perceptions on Student-Professor Engagement in Learning and deep learning.
... Similar to previous studies (Dennen & Wieland, 2007;Yun & Park, 2011), overall levels of disagreement and changes in the position taken on an idea were low across all students in the study. This was found despite the fact that one of the two task types specifically set-up a situation to promote negotiation and debate. ...
This study extends previous research studying students' listening and speaking behaviors in online discussions with a particular focus on processes of self-regulated learning and task type as an external facilitator of regulation. 105 undergraduate students participated in a week-long small-group online discussion to address real-world business challenges. Groups were given either two contrasting alternative solutions to debate (negotiative task); or asked to come up with their own possible solutions (generative task). Students' regulation of their listening was assessed based on click-stream data; speaking was assessed by manually coding post content for argumentation. Data streams were aligned at the student-week level. Mixed models showed that the generative task led to positive effects on regulation of listening (percent of real reads and the average time of reviews). In addition, several relationships between listening and speaking were found; notably greater depth of listening to others predicted more positive positions taken in one's own posts and informed breadth of listening predicted more support provided for the positions taken.
This introductory chapter commences with stories of the authors’ first experiences with Asynchronous Online Discussion (AOD), revisiting the roots of our interest in this teaching and learning approach. We explore what happens when discussion is effective and engaging, in contrast to when it simply does not work. We foreground the goals of this book, explaining our intent to support teaching and learning through online discussion in tertiary education. Links to open, distance, and digital learning are acknowledged, along with dialogic education. The distinctiveness of discussion in online contexts is outlined, with the unique affordances of AOD. Finally, the structure of the book is introduced to orientate the reader to the chapters ahead.
We use qualitative and quantitative methods to compare critical thinking, discussion quality and perception towards online discussion boards versus traditional in-person discussions as brought on by the COVID19 pandemic. We find higher levels of critical thinking online, while in-person discussions are higher quality and perceived positively.
This chapter is a case study showing how multiple innovations such as macro-chunking, forum silence, role-play, and an advance organizer describing mental models worked together to engender deep reflection and meaningful dialogue in an online graduate worldview course. It uses the community of inquiry framework to help define the purpose of the discussion forum to construct personal meaning and confirm mutual understanding. Specific pedagogical designs for facilitating deep learning are shared. These designs provide innovative alternatives to readers creating online courses. Quotes from the final discussion forum show how multiple innovations together created a powerful learning environment.
Distance education programs have proliferated, sometimes growing faster than instructors can innovate. A problem plaguing educators for decades is how to translate the synergism flowing naturally through in-seat discussion into an online environment. This chapter begins with an overview of the various purposes for class discussion and an exploration of best practices for facilitating transformative conversation. It examines the benefits and challenges of synchronous and asynchronous online discussion, offering practical, creative solutions for each approach. The ultimate goals are fostering generative conversation and genuine connection. Strategies to accomplish this include setting clear expectation, adopting a consistent, probing co-participant stance, and teaching students self-facilitation. Out-of-the-box ideas include social annotation and simulation activities.
Information and Communications Technologies (ICTs) continue to ex-pand the borders of higher education into an anytime and anywhere experience. Mobile technology presents new means for students to access classroom infor-mation and communicate with peers and lecturers. Today, mobile phones have become popular devices for accessing and sharing information. Such mobile de-vices include personal smart phones, tablets, Personal Digital Assistants (PDA), iPod touches, iPad, and numerous other devices. There is no doubt that the usage of mobile devices for academic purposes is becoming increasingly popular. Uni-versities now consists students who are easily connected to technology and smart mobile devices. Despite the growth of mobile usage, some lecturers do not allow mobile usage during lectures. A mixed method was applied to determine mobile ownership and usage during lectures. Quantitative and qualitative approaches were incorporated in data analysis. Results show that students are increasingly utilising their mobile phones during lectures. The results helped in formulating the recommendations discussed in the paper.
In language learning, e-learning is often contrasted to on-campus face-to-face (F2F) in what is known as media studies. This approach ignores the fact that most university courses are already blended, with synchronous element accounting for approximately 1/3 of the student’s workload, with the other 2/3 being asynchronous and delivered mostly online. Focusing on the synchronous part only allows us to compare the two distinct modes of its delivery: on campus and by videoconferencing, with its corresponding effects on the rest of the course. This single-case study is conducted with a group of first-year university studying a foreign language for translators and interpreters via videoconferencing in the first semester and on campus in the second semester. The research design is cross-sectional with data proceeding from course statistics and a final questionnaire. The conceptual framework is based on Transactional Distance Theory by Moore and Zone of Proximal Development Theory by Vygotsky. Our students regarded class dialogue in online F2F as being maintained though affected by technology issues additional to those present in on-campus F2F communication. Moreover, students valued positively the fact of having more time available for study, they improved their autonomy and reported feeling more comfortable when had classes online. The traditional universities after the pandemic face a new technological panorama, with students happy to socialize on campus but already conscious of existing alternatives to on-campus teaching. Deeper research into class dialogue, on-campus, online and mixed, is urgently needed for the universities to decide whether they should adopt these alternatives.
Drawing from conflicts observed in online communities (e.g., astroturfing and shadow banning), I extend Pietraszewski's theory to accommodate phenomena dependent on the intersubjectivity of groups, where representations of group membership (or beliefs about group membership) diverge. Doing so requires enriching representations to include other agents and their beliefs in a process of recursive mentalizing.
Previous studies have contextualized student-led, asynchronous online discussions as collaborative learning experiences that positively impact students’ learning and foster higher order cognitive skills. From a leadership education perspective, student-led discussions have come to the fore as a helpful resource for deepening learning because of their focus on collaboration and shared leadership. While literature on student-led online discussions, leadership learning, and cognitive skill is plentiful, there is no single study that explores all these elements together or fully points to how practicing meaning-making in online, asynchronous leadership courses can inform larger cognitive processes. Thus, the purpose of this conceptual content analysis-based study was to examine 35 undergraduate students’ collaborative discussion board posts at the beginning, middle, and end of an online, asynchronous Ethics and Leadership class to assess not only if and to what extent students expressed cognitive skills, in general, but also if and to what extent they understood ethical leadership via these types of discussions. Further, from an exploratory lens, this study examined if there was a relationship between expression of higher order cognitive skills and more complex ethical leadership understanding. Results indicate that, while students achieved higher order cognitive skills and more holistic ethical leadership understanding overall, robustness of student engagement could be situational in nature and expressions of cognitive skills and ethical leadership understanding tapered as the course progressed. Additional findings and implications are discussed.
This study evaluates the validity of an algorithm for measuring the efficiency of social learning networks in discussion forums accompanying MOOCs of conventional format, which consist of video lectures and problem assignments. The algorithm models social learning networks as a function of users’ knowledge seeking and knowledge disseminating tendencies across course topics and offers a means to optimize social learning networks by connecting users seeking and disseminating information on specific topics. We use the algorithm to analyze the social learning network manifest in the discussion format of a MOOC forum incorporating video lectures and problem assignments. As a measure of the degree that knowledge seekers and knowledge disseminators are connected in the network, we observe a very sparse network with few discussion participants and a limited range of topics. Hence, only small gains are available through optimization, since for a very sparse network, few connections can be made. The development of a metric for the analysis of social learning networks would provide instructors and researchers with a means to optimize online learning environments for empowering social learning. Finally, we discuss our findings with respect to the potential of self-optimizing discussion forums for supporting social learning online.
To examine the impacts of collaborative learning and video lectures, 94 students enrolled in online- graduate research and statistics classes completed a survey rating the impacts of course instructional methods and learning style preferences. Students’ comments suggested that the instructional methods brought the classroom to the online learner for many students, yet did not reveal a most preferred learning option.
Graduate students in higher education need pedagogical strategies that prepare them with knowledge and critical thinking for their careers. Research conducted in this area concluded that teaching students how to integrate knowledge into the real-world continues to be a challenge for educators across various disciplines in higher education. While scholars have studied effective teaching practices for decades, a broad definition has not been determined. Graduate students’ perceptions of professor pedagogical content knowledge, transformational teaching, student deep learning, and age were compared to determine the behaviors that influence deep learning in business and education programs in the United States and internationally. A survey was administered to 137 students. Findings show that non-traditional learners did not feel as strongly about individualized consideration as traditional learners. The findings suggest that graduate students perceive humor, learning struggles, and relatable content differently.
En este trabajo se exploran los procesos de construcción compartida del conocimiento desarrollados por pequeños grupos de estudiantes en un entorno tecnológico de comunicación asíncrona. Se realizó un estudio cualitativo de casos múltiples en donde participaron tres grupos de estudiantes universitarios que cursaban una licenciatura en línea. El procedimiento de análisis consistió en identificar cadenas socio-cognitivas dentro de la interacción asíncrona de los estudiantes y en caracterizarlas de acuerdo con cuatro fases de construcción del conocimiento: i) esclarecimiento/organización de la tarea, ii) síntesis y acuerdos finales, iii) elaboración de significados/propuestas, y iv) intercambio de información/ideas iniciales. Los resultados revelaron que los grupos de estudiantes prestan mayor interés a la organización de la tarea y al intercambio de información y, en detrimento, hay menos elaboración de significados propios sobre la tarea. Asimismo, se identificaron cuatro patrones de interacción grupal derivados del nivel de implicación y la profundidad del diálogo establecido por los estudiantes durante de la tarea. Concluimos que los grupos de estudiantes tienen dificultades para sostener, de manera simultánea, una alta implicación y un diálogo profundo sobre los contenidos de la tarea, y muchas veces carecen de habilidades para explicar y argumentar sus ideas. Finalmente, planteamos algunas propuestas para la intervención del profesorado y la mejora de los procesos colaborativos de los estudiantes.
This investigation is concerned with student ‘engagement’ in online learning. For the purpose of this study, the concept of ‘engagement’ is defined as ‘meaningful participation’. While ‘participation’ can be demonstrated through quantifiable means, it is far more arduous to demonstrate ‘meaningfulness’. To overcome this challenge, the study focused on specific forms of locutions, using the methodology of ‘language-game’ analysis. This form of analysis is epistemologically grounded on two theoretical traditions: Philosophy of Language and hermeneutic phenomenology. The primary research objective of this investigation was to examine all aspects of the language- games, see what is most prominent, what is least prominent, determine where this occurs, and suggest where the course might be improved. The study found that the highest level of activity were interactions that drew on readings and personal experience.
This paper explores the processes of the shared construction of knowledge developed by small groups of students in technological environments with asynchronous communication. A qualitative multiple case study was carried out with the participation of three groups of university students in an online bachelor’s degree program. The analysis process consisted of identifying socio-cognitive chains within the asynchronous interaction of students and classifying them into four phases of knowledge construction: i) understanding/ organization of the task, ii) synthesis and final agreements, iii) creation of meaning/proposals, and iv) exchange of information/initial ideas. The results revealed that the groups of students were more interested in the organization of the task and exchange of information, and less interested in the creation of meanings inherent to the task. Furthermore, we identified four group interaction patterns stemming from the participation and profundity of the dialogue established by the students during the task. We conclude that groups of students have difficulty simultaneously sustaining high levels of participation and deep dialogue about the contents of the task, and they often lack the abilities to explain and argue their ideas. Finally, we present some proposals for intervention by the professor and the improvement of collaborative processes by the students.
Despite its wide usage and pedagogical benefits, asynchronous online discussion in higher education courses does not necessarily lead to students’ knowledge-constructing discourse and reflective learning. Integrating argumentation into online discussion can facilitate meaningful learning. In this article, the authors present a framework of Scaffolded Online Dialogic Argumentation (SODA) that they created for designing an asynchronous online discussion. Based on the design framework, the authors developed and implemented an argumentation activity in a graduate-level online course. They then examined participants’ perceptions of the pedagogical components of SODA using a qualitative inquiry approach. Findings indicate that students perceive a positive influence of the scaffolded argumentation activity on their learning engagement in online discussion. Implications include suggestions for researchers and practitioners in refining and using SODA for future research and discussion activity design.
Over the past fifteen years, the Internet has triggered a boom in research on human behavior. As growing numbers of people interact on a regular basis in chat rooms, web forums, listservs, email, instant messaging environments and the like, social scientists, marketers, and educators look to their behavior in an effort to understand the nature of computer-mediated communication and how it can be optimized in specific contexts of use. This effort is facilitated by the fact that people engage in socially meaningful activities online in a way that typically leaves a textual trace, making the interactions more accessible to scrutiny and reflection than is the case in ephemeral spoken communication, and enabling researchers to employ empirical, micro-level methods to shed light on macro-level phenomena. Despite this potential, much research on online behavior is anecdotal and speculative, rather than empirically grounded. Moreover, Internet research often suffers from a premature impulse to label online phenomena in broad terms, for example, all groups of people interacting online are “communities”; the language of the Internet is a single style or “genre.” Notions such as community and genre are familiar and evocative, yet notoriously slippery, and unhelpful (or worse) if applied indiscriminately. An important challenge facing Internet researchers is thus how to identify and describe online phenomena in culturally meaningful terms, while at the same time grounding their distinctions in empirically observable behavior.
Instructional media such as computer conferencing engender high levels of student-student and student-teacher interaction; therefore, they can support models of teaching and learning that are highly interactive and consonant with the communicative ideals of university education. This potential and the ubiquity of computer conferencing in higher education prompted three of the authors of the this article to develop a community of inquiry model that synthesizes pedagogical principles with the inherent instructional and access benefits of computer conferencing (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000). This article explicates one element of the model, social presence. Social presence is defined
This study assessed the depth of online learning, with a focus on the nature of online interaction in four distance education course designs. The Study Process Questionnaire was used to measure the shift in students' approach to learning from the beginning to the end of the courses. Design had a significant impact on the nature of the interaction and whether students approached learning in a deep and meaningful manner. Structure and leadership were found to be crucial for online learners to take a deep and meaningful approach to learning.
As a partial review of the field of communication and technology, this essay revisits Newhagen and Rafaeli's (1996) Journal of Communication article that asked why communication researchers should study the Internet. Research directions, findings, and theories are discussed under the organization of the 5 important qualities of the Internet that Newhagen and Rafaeli identified: multimedia, hypertextuality, packet switching, synchronicity, and interactivity. The article concludes with an assessment of theory development in communication and technology research, issues facing theoretical growth, and an answer to the question of what this research might teach us.
What knowledge sources are necessary in the interpretation and generation of ellipsis? After a short background on earlier
approaches we compare and discuss each of the four papers selected for this special issue, examining how they approach ellipsis
generation or interpretation. We highlight areas where more research needs to be done: outlining how pragmatics affects ellipsis,
empirical studies, and theoretical work on what the effect of ellipsis is in context.
Over the past 15 years, educational technologists have been dabbling with a research technique known as quantitative content
analysis (QCA). Although it is characterized as a systematic and objective procedure for describing communication, readers
find insufficient evidence of either quality in published reports. In this paper, it is argued that QCA should be conceived
of as a form of testing and measurement. If this argument is successful, it becomes possible to frame many of the problems
associated with QCA studies under the well-articulated rubric of test validity. Two sets of procedures for developing the
validity of a QCA coding protocol are provided, (a) one for developing a protocol that is theoretically valid and (b) one
for establishing its validity empirically. The paper is concerned specifically with the use of QCA to study educational applications
of computer-mediated communication.
Transcript analysis is an important methodology to study asynchronous online educational discourse. The purpose of this study is to revisit reliability and validity issues associated with transcript analysis. The goal is to provide researchers with guidance in coding transcripts. For validity reasons, it is suggested that the first step is to select a sound theoretical model and coding scheme. Particular focus is placed on exploring the advantages of the option of a negotiated approach to coding the transcript. It is concluded that researchers need to consider the advantages of negotiation when coders and researchers are not familiar with the coding scheme.
To explore the impact of the communication medium on building common ground, this article presents research comparing learner use of reception strategies in traditional face-to-face (FTF) and in synchronous computer-mediated communication (CMC).Reception strategies, such as reprises, hypothesis testing and forward inferencing provide evidence of comprehension and thus serve to establish common ground among participants. A number of factors, including communicative purpose or medium are hypothesized to affect the use of such strategies (Clark & Brennan, 1991). In the data analysis, I 1) identify specific types of reception strategies, 2) compare their relative frequencies by communication medium, by task, and by learner and 3) describe how these reception strategies function in the discussions. The findings of the quantitative analysis show that the medium alone seems to have little impact on grounding as indicated by use of reception strategies. The qualitative analysis provides evidence that participants adapted the strategies to the goals of the communicative interaction as they used them primarily to negotiate and update common ground on their collaborative activity rather than to compensate for L2 deficiencies.
This paper addresses the nature of literacy practices in online distance learning environments, specifically those involved in text-based collaborative discussion at post-compulsory level. A three-dimensional framework, relating operational, cultural and critical aspects of linguistic interaction online, is used to argue that research in this field needs to take account of wider institutional and social contexts if it is to address issues of student resistance to socialisation into virtual learning communities. Some methodologies for research of this kind are discussed, and sample analyses of participant interaction on UK Open University Masters courses are presented.
Despite the success that instructors and learners often enjoy with online university courses, learners have also reported that they miss face-to-face contact when learning online. The purpose of this inquiry was to identify learners' perceptions of what is missing from online learning and provide recommendations for how we can continue to innovate and improve the online learning experience. The inquiry was qualitative in nature and conducted from a constructivist perspective. Ten learners who had indicated that they missed and/ or would have liked more face-to-face contact following their participation in an online course were interviewed to elicit responses that would provide insights into what it is they miss about face-to-face contact when learning online. Five themes emerged: robustness of online dialogue, spontaneity and improvisation, perceiving and being perceived by the other, getting to know others, and learning to be an online learner. Garrison and colleagues' (Garrison, Anderson, & Archer, 2000) community of inquiry framework was used to interpret the findings.
Contrasts the naturalistic research paradigm with the scientific model, noting that the naturalistic paradigm assumes multiple reality, subject-object interrelatedness, and contextuality. Skills required for the pursuit of naturalistic inquiry are described. (JEG)
This paper examines whether instructor modeling of expected discourse is useful for preparing students to engage in productive online learning dialogues. Data from four online classes, two which had an instructor providing a dynamic model within the discussion itself and two which did not, are examined to see if learners met expectations in terms how they wrote individual messages and how they engaged in dialogue. Findings show that students did follow the models set forth by their instructors to achieve the desired discussion performance, and that in the absence of a model learners failed to engage in discussion at the desired level. Additionally, it was possible to fade the modeling within the two classes that had a model and maintain learner performance.
Generating true learning dialogue as opposed to a collection of loosely affiliated posted messages on a class discussion board can be challenging. This paper presents the results of a cross-case anal-ysis of nine naturalistic case studies of online classes, looking at how activity design and facilitation factors affected various dimensions of student participation. Findings show that use of guidelines, deadlines and feedback and type of instructor presence affect the resulting discourse in an online class. Additionally, the paper explores how particular types of learning activities are better suited to generating discussion than others and how the integration of discussion activities with the rest of the course activities and requirements impacts learner motivation and participation.
This study uses four different "frames" to analyze 17 online discussions that occurred in two doctoral-level classes in educational leadership. Two of the frames were developmental models: King and Kitchener's Reflective Judgment Model and Perry's model of intellectual and ethical development. Two of the frames captured levels of thinking: Garrison's four-stage critical-thinking model and Bloom's taxonomy of educational objectives. Of the 278 individual postings, 45.3% were at levels five through seven of the King and Kitchener model, 100% were at levels five through nine of the Perry model, 52.2% were at the two highest levels of the Garrison model, and 54.3% were at levels four through six in Bloom's taxonomy. These results seem appropriate to the level of response expected of doctoral students. For each frame, the analysis resulted in additional findings. The study concludes that each frame has value and focuses attention on different aspects of the student's thinking as evidenced in his/her posting to an online discussion; however, some frames are more difficult to use than others, which argues for specific training and/or tailoring the topic of discussions to address issues in a particular manner. Lastly, the question initiating each of the online discussions influenced the level of the responses from students. Each frame has the potential to illumine students' online discussions, although using multiple frames may have more benefit than using any one frame exclusively.
Elliptical utterances in dialogue are here investigated using Optimality Theory (OT). The focus is on generation, and the
analysis as well as the examples used are based on a study of elliptical utterances in corpora of recorded dialogues. The
OT analysis makes use of the information structural notions of focus and ground. Two important optimisations of elliptical utterances are investigated. One concerns the optimisation of the part of the
context that the elliptical utterance is connected to, and the other concerns the determination of whether an elliptical or
a non-elliptical utterance is to be produced.
This study investigates the quality and nature of virtual interaction in a higher education context. The study aims to find out variables that mediate virtual interaction, particularly the emerging processes of sharing and constructing perspectives in web-based conferencing. The purpose of this paper is to report the results on different levels of web-based discussions with parallel findings on the amount of sharing perspectives. The findings of two empirical studies are compared, and thereby also the impact of the pedagogical model designed between these two studies is evaluated. Possible explanations for why some discussions reach higher levels and include more perspective sharing than others are also searched for. Particular attention is paid to the qualitatively distinct ways in which individual students interpret their participation in virtual interaction and the impact of group working on their own learning. These findings lead us on to discuss specific processes by which participants could better understand each other, create joint goals and construct meanings in virtual interaction.
Distance learning environments provide a rich opportunity for collaborative knowledge building, particularly through peer-to-peer dialogue. Much of the discussion in distance learning environments occurs in asynchronous forums, and it is content analysis of these discussions that constitutes the majority of research in online learning. However few studies in this area provide enough information about the context to know what works and what doesn't. Most studies do not go beyond downloading and analyzing the transcripts after the course is completed. Studies also lack a solid epistemological stance, attempting to capture evidence of individual learning of knowledge rather than examining the process of group learning through knowledge construction. An ongoing lack of attention to a coherent theoretical foundation, examining transcripts without attending to their situated contexts, and relying primarily on reductionist content analysis methods, will continue to limit our understanding of the potentiality and actuality of online collaborative learning environments. In this paper we explore how Stahl's social theory of CSCL can be applied to formal online learning environments to address these limitations.
Previous computer conferencing research has been concerned with the organizational, technical, social, and motivational factors that support and sustain online interaction. This article studies online interaction from a different perspective. Rather than analyze the processes that sustain discourse, the following research examines how and why discussions shut down. A computer simulation of asynchronous threaded interaction suggests that certain common online habits, when practiced by many people, can adversely affect the lifespan of some threads. Specifically, the widespread practice of focusing attention on unread notes during computer conferencing sessions can produce a starvation condition that hastens the death of some threads and reduces the likelihood that inactive threads will become active again. The longevity of a thread, therefore, is partially affected by the kinds of routines that online participants follow when they use a computer conferencing interface. The educational implications of this finding are discussed, and strategies are presented for limiting adverse educational effects.
This study investigates the quality and nature of virtual interaction in a higher education context. The study aims to find out variables that mediate virtual interaction, particularly the emerging processes of sharing and constructing perspectives in web-based conferencing. The purpose of this paper is to report the results on different levels of web-based discussions with parallel findings on the amount of sharing perspectives. The findings of two empirical studies are compared, and thereby also the impact of the pedagogical model designed between these two studies is evaluated. Possible explanations for why some discussions reach higher levels and include more perspective sharing than others are also searched for. Particular attention is paid to the qualitatively distinct ways in which individual students interpret their participation in virtual interaction and the impact of group working on their own learning. These findings lead us on to discuss specific processes by which participants could better understand each other, create joint goals and construct meanings in virtual interaction. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Exploring the software design, social practices, and collaboration theory that would be needed to support group cognition; collective knowledge that is constructed by small groups online.
Innovative uses of global and local networks of linked computers make new ways of collaborative working, learning, and acting possible. In Group Cognition Gerry Stahl explores the technological and social reconfigurations that are needed to achieve computer-supported collaborative knowledge building—group cognition that transcends the limits of individual cognition. Computers can provide active media for social group cognition where ideas grow through the interactions within groups of people; software functionality can manage group discourse that results in shared understandings, new meanings, and collaborative learning. Stahl offers software design prototypes, analyzes empirical instances of collaboration, and elaborates a theory of collaboration that takes the group, rather than the individual, as the unit of analysis.
Stahl's design studies concentrate on mechanisms to support group formation, multiple interpretive perspectives, and the negotiation of group knowledge in applications as varied as collaborative curriculum development by teachers, writing summaries by students, and designing space voyages by NASA engineers. His empirical analysis shows how, in small-group collaborations, the group constructs intersubjective knowledge that emerges from and appears in the discourse itself. This discovery of group meaning becomes the springboard for Stahl's outline of a social theory of collaborative knowing. Stahl also discusses such related issues as the distinction between meaning making at the group level and interpretation at the individual level, appropriate research methodology, philosophical directions for group cognition theory, and suggestions for further empirical work.
This paper suggests that, through the provision of opportunities for reflection–in–action at critical learning stages and with the support of a trained e–moderator, the participants in computer mediated conferencing (CMC) can be encouraged to engage in reflecting about their onscreen experiences. Such reflection aids the building of a productive online community of practice. In addition, by encouraging participants to reflect on later stages of their online training experiences, a reflection–on–action record can be built up. Participants’ reflective processes can be captured through analysis of their on screen text messages and so be available for research purposes. Examples of conference text message reflections are given throughout the paper, drawn from the on screen reflections of Open University Business School (OUBS) Associate Lecturers who were working online through the medium of computer mediated conferencing for the first time. The conclusion is that reflection–on–practice in the online environment is beneficial for helping the participants to learn from online conferencing and can provide an excellent tool for qualitative research. Opportunities for reflection need to be built into the design of online conferences and facilitated by a trained e–moderator.
Everyday conversation
- R E Nofsinger
Nofsinger, R. E. (1999). Everyday conversation. Prospect Heights, IL: Waveland.
Computer supported collab-orative learning: What we know about CSCL and implementing it in higher education
- J W Dillenbourg
- P A Strijbos
- R L Kirschner
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Dillenbourg, J. W. Strijbos, P. A. Kirschner, & R. L. Martens (Eds.), Computer supported collab-orative learning: What we know about CSCL and implementing it in higher education (pp. 53–86).
Computer conferencing and content analysis Online education: Perspectives on a new environment
- F Henri
Henri, F. (1992). Computer conferencing and content analysis. In A. R. Kaye (Ed.), Online education: Perspectives on a new environment (pp. 115–136). New York: Praeger.
Classical content analysis: A review Qualitative researching with text, image, and sound (pp. 131–151) Taxonomy of educational objectives Frameworks for design and instruction
- M Bauer
Bauer, M. (2000). Classical content analysis: A review. In M. Bauer & G. Gaskell (Eds.), Qualitative researching with text, image, and sound (pp. 131–151). London: Sage. Bloom, B. S. (1984). Taxonomy of educational objectives. Boston: Pearson. Bonk, C. J., & Dennen, V. P. (2007). Frameworks for design and instruction. In M. G. Moore (Ed.), Handbook of distance education (2nd ed., pp. 233–246). Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
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