Exploring creative thinking in graphically mediated synchronous dialogues

publication-status: Publishedtypes: ArticleThis paper reports on an aspect of the EC funded Argunaut project which researched and developed awareness tools for moderators of online dialogues. In this study we report on an investigation into the nature of creative thinking in online dialogues and whether or not this creative thinking can be coded for and recognized automatically such that moderators can be alerted when creative thinking is occurring or when it has not occurred after a period of time. We outline a dialogic theory of creativity, as the emergence of new perspectives from the interplay of voices, and the testing of this theory using a range of methods including a coding scheme which combined coding for creative thinking with more established codes for critical thinking, artificial intelligence pattern-matching techniques to see if our codes could be read automatically from maps and ‘key event recall’ interviews to explore the experience of participants. Our findings are that: (1) the emergence of new perspectives in a graphical dialogue map can be recognized by our coding scheme supported by a machine pattern-matching algorithm in a way that can be used to provide awareness indicators for moderators; (2) that the trigger events leading to the emergence of new perspectives in the online dialogues studied were most commonly disagreements and (3) the spatial representation of messages in a graphically mediated synchronous dialogue environment such as Digalo may offer more affordance for creativity than the much more common scrolling text chat environments. All these findings support the usefulness of our new account of creativity in online dialogues based on dialogic theory and demonstrate that this account can be operationalised through machine coding in a way that can be turned into alerts for moderators

Collaborative trails in e-learning environments

This deliverable focuses on collaboration within groups of learners, and hence collaborative trails. We begin by reviewing the theoretical background to collaborative learning and looking at the kinds of support that computers can give to groups of learners working collaboratively, and then look more deeply at some of the issues in designing environments to support collaborative learning trails and at tools and techniques, including collaborative filtering, that can be used for analysing collaborative trails. We then review the state-of-the-art in supporting collaborative learning in three different areas – experimental academic systems, systems using mobile technology (which are also generally academic), and commercially available systems. The final part of the deliverable presents three scenarios that show where technology that supports groups working collaboratively and producing collaborative trails may be heading in the near future

The learning preferences of current generational groups

Today's computer literate students think in ways that are incompatible with current educational goals and practices. If one of the aims of learning is to provide lifelong benefits for all, then a substantial rethink on the learning needs of students and the goals of education has become paramount. This emergent imperative presents an unfamiliar challenge for educational institutions to examine their past assumptions and to facilitate success in meeting the needs of current and future generations of learners. The type of change proposed in this paper requires a comprehensive rethink not only to devise innovative alternatives to accepted methods and practices, but also to develop theories and pedagogies more attuned to the preferences, values, and attitudes of the technology and information proficient generations. The eventual outcome will be a dramatic transformation in the essential nature and purpose of the online learning environment. It is not just bridging the transition from 'traditional' to 'digitised' learning that is fraught with difficulties. Any attempt to accommodate the skills and learning needs of the current generation computer "literate" will compel education designers to think entirely "outside the box" and consider solutions previously thought impossible. Success in meeting the needs of learners will require radically new teaching methods and strategies. Such strategies may include for example: content interactive features that offer "intelligent" meaningful responses; the ability to annotate and record ideas as required; user generated (manually) and automatically (dynamically generated hyperlinks to alternative materials relative to the current context; and automated display of customised content such as interactive assessments and constructive feedback tailored to students' immediate learning needs. For these innovations to be truly effective, libraries must also be viewed as an essential component of a complex network of information resources. Thus, it is argued that the nature of the learning environment must change dramatically, in particular in relation to the choice of flexible delivery techniques that are supported by distributed computing networks, advanced educational software, and universal access to quality learning resources regardless of location and time

Students\u27 knowledge construction and attitudes toward synchronous videoconferencing in an online collaborative problem-based learning environment

The purpose of this study was to investigate students\u27 cognitive learning process during problem-based discussions in an online synchronous collaborative learning environment via videoconferencing. In addition, students\u27 attitudes toward the online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing as well as recommendations on how to improve their online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing were investigated. The participants were 28 graduate students who took a graduate-level online Mathematical Modeling course at a western university. They were assigned into eight groups of three (or four) students to work on nine collaborative projects throughout the semester. They were instructed to utilize the Elluminate Live!® for the synchronous small-group discussions each week. A triangulation mixed methods design was used to analyze and interpret four data sources including (1) twelve synchronous small-group discussion transcriptions; (2) three teamwork attitude surveys; (3) a learning environment attitude survey; and (4) seven individual interviews. The main findings of this study revealed that students performed more messages at Phase I than at Phase IV or Phase V based on the Gunawardena, Lowe, and Anderson\u27s Interaction Analysis Model (1997) in the online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing integrated. The results of the findings might be due to students\u27 sharing preferences, preparedness of the group members, and the nature of the Mathematical Modeling course. Nevertheless, videoconferencing can be a potential tool to help facilitate participants to perform more messages at Phase V than synchronous chat. Additionally, students had positive attitudes toward the online synchronous collaborative learning environment and their most favorable experiences included the sense of community, learning facilitation, and significance of the synchronous small-group discussions via videoconferencing sessions. Conversely, technology problems and unprepared group members were students\u27 unfavorable experiences when participating in the synchronous small-group discussions via videoconferencing. Furthermore, recommendations such as technical assistance, group rotation, clear course expectations, greater preparation time, and increased learner-instructor interaction were provided to improve students\u27 online synchronous collaborative small-group discussions with videoconferencing. Finally, implications for educational practices and recommendations for future studies were discussed

A profile of arguing behaviors on Facebook

This study explored how people argue on social-networking sites. Specifically, participants (N = 170) responded to open and closed-ended questions about the most recent argument they had engaged in on Facebook. Results of a content analysis of participants' answers revealed individuals tended to argue mostly about public issues, in somewhat complex arguments that involved a median of six people and with about 30 comments exchanged. Individuals often pursued multiple goals, with persuasion and defending themselves or others also reported by some. Arguments tended to end without resolution, and most had no effects on arguers' relationships; however, for 20% of the sample, arguments permanently damaged their relationships. Although the number of friends participants had did not have a substantial effect on their frequency of arguing, the frequency with which one's friends argued on Facebook was positively related to one's own arguing frequency. These results are interpreted in connection to argumentation and computer-mediated-communication literature. Limitations of the study as well as directions for future research are also discussed

The Confluence of Intersubjectivity and Dialogue in Postmodern Organizational Workgroups

Nascent revival of dialogue is struggling to reach its potential within the postmodern organizational milieu. Concurrently, interpersonal intersubjectivity has steadily been de-pathologized, via reassessments of countertransference in the psychoanalytic sphere, allowing exploration of its utility in other domains of relational process. Effective use of dialogue is critical and foundational to developing meaningful and sustainable enterprise in the immediate future. Despite the risks, intentionally explored intersubjectivity is a powerful tool to enrich the container of dialogue. This paper qualitatively explores the literature on intersubjectivity and dialogue with an hermeneutic approach to discern the implications of their convergence for collaborative workgroups in emergent enterprise