Collaboration scripts - a conceptual analysis

This article presents a conceptual analysis of collaboration scripts used in face-to-face and computer-mediated collaborative learning. Collaboration scripts are scaffolds that aim to improve collaboration through structuring the interactive processes between two or more learning partners. Collaboration scripts consist of at least five components: (a) learning objectives, (b) type of activities, (c) sequencing, (d) role distribution, and (e) type of representation. These components serve as a basis for comparing prototypical collaboration script approaches for face-to-face vs. computer-mediated learning. As our analysis reveals, collaboration scripts for face-to-face learning often focus on supporting collaborators in engaging in activities that are specifically related to individual knowledge acquisition. Scripts for computer-mediated collaboration are typically concerned with facilitating communicative-coordinative processes that occur among group members. The two lines of research can be consolidated to facilitate the design of collaboration scripts, which both support participation and coordination, as well as induce learning activities closely related to individual knowledge acquisition and metacognition. In addition, research on collaboration scripts needs to consider the learners’ internal collaboration scripts as a further determinant of collaboration behavior. The article closes with the presentation of a conceptual framework incorporating both external and internal collaboration scripts

The Organizational Information System (OIS), object and medium of learning (In French)

Is it possible to consider that the Organizational Information System (OIS) allows to articulate individual and organizational dynamics of learning ? Our aim is to answer the central question, in economics, of the cognitive transfers between the individual and the organization as a collective action build-up. From this point of view, the OIS considered as a collective artefact making it possible to store, communicate and treat the results of the learning processes is registered in a dialectics collective memory (stock) / individual memorization (communication, data processing). Therefore, within the framework of the interindividual coordination through the double relation ; with the technical implement and the community of practice we can show that technico-organizational trajectories can structure themselves. Such dynamics take their meaning around a selective appropriation of knowledge and technologies by the members of the organization and in the production and the reproduction of the social structures via a situated mobilization of the rules and resources, in action.perceptions, knowledge, competences, learning, OIS, coordination, trust

Enriching Knowledge Management Coordination

{Excerpt} To manage knowledge—in the sense of making explicit and systematic efforts to enable vital individual and collective knowledge resources to be identified, created, stored, shared, and used for benefit—learning organizations build adaptive and generative institutions, systems and processes, and functions across leadership, organization, technology, and learning dimensions. Only by doing so can they, irrespective of configuration, hope to enjoy the capacity to act effectively to achieve shared vision. Concern for sound management of stocks and, increasingly, flows of knowledge is not a fad. To accomplish their missions, organizations must continually refresh their stocks of knowledge by being part of relevant flows of new knowledge. To this intent, communities (and networks) of practice have, since the mid-1990s, become an accepted part of organizational development. (In a mobile workforce,people are more likely to be aligned to their professional identity than to their organizational affiliation.) They are groups of like-minded, interacting people who filter, amplify, invest and provide, convene, build, and learn and facilitate to ensure more effective creation and sharing of knowledge in their domain. It is also recognized that a coordinating medium,or knowledge manager, is a key factor for managing knowledge in organizations, be that with reference to well-structured, ill-structured, or wicked problem solving. With decreasing bureaucracy and decentralization of operations, it makes sense to distribute leadership for organizational problem solving: the span of knowledge coordination should be as close as possible to relevant knowledge domains

Are the anti-globalists right? Gains-from-trade without a Walrasian auctioneer

We examine whether the "fear" of globalisation can be rationalised by economic theory. To do so, we depart from the standard AD/AS (partial) equilibrium model where the coordinational role of the Auctioneer is substituted by an implementation device based on learning (Guesnerie, 1992). By endowing producers with a learning ability to forecast market prices, individual profit-maximizing production decisions become interdependent in a strategic sense (strategic substitutes). Performing basic comparative statics exercises, we show that "competitiveness" matters in a precise sense: as foreign producers gain access to the home market, home producers' ability to forecast market prices is undermined, so being their ability to forecast the profit consequences of their production decisions. When performing a standard open economy exercise in such a framework, we show that the existence of standard efficiency gains - due to the increase in competition (or spatial price stabilization) - is traded-off against coordination upon the welfare enhancing free-trade equilibrium (stabilizing price expectations). Therefore, we identify a new rationale for an exogenous price intervention in open economy targeting coordination, to allow trading countries to fully reap the benefits from trade. We illustrate this point showing that classical measures evaluating ex-ante the desirability of economic integration (net welfare gains) do not always advice integration between two expectationally stable economies. <br><br> Keywords; globalisation, rational expectations, coordination, common knowledge

Are the antiglobalists right? Gains-from-trade without a walrasian auctioneer

We examine whether the "fear" of globalisation can be rationalised by economic theory. To do so, we depart from the standard AD/AS (partial) equilibrium model where the coordinational role of the Auctioneer is substituted by an implementation device based on learning (Guesnerie, 1992). By endowing producers with a learning ability to forecast market prices, individual profit-maximizing production decisions become interdependent in a strategic sense (strategic substitutes). Performing basic comparative statics exercises, we show that "competitiveness" matters in a precise sense: as foreign producers gain access to the home market, home producers' ability to forecast market prices is undermined, so being their ability to forecast the profit consequences of their production decisions. When performing a standard open economy exercise in such a framework, we show that the existence of standard efficiency gains - due to the increase in competition (or spatial price stabilization) - is traded-off against coordination upon the welfare enhancing free-trade equilibrium (stabilizing price expectations). Therefore, we identify a new rationale for an exogenous price intervention in open economy targeting coordination, to allow trading countries to fully reap the benefits from trade. We illustrate this point showing that classical measures evaluating ex-ante the desirability of economic integration (net welfare gains) do not always advice integration between two expectationally stable economies.open economy ; rational expectations ; coordination ; common knowledge

Unraveling the Process of Knowledge Integration in Agile Product Development Teams

Agile product development seems to be the solution for many companies to drive innovation and shorten time-to-market, but what mechanisms lie behind the promises of faster development times and more innovative products? Defined as locus of innovation and driver of dynamic performance, the concept of cross-functional knowledge integration and the organizational learning literature have the potential to provide answers here. Recent empirical studies imply that knowledge integration happens on multiple levels that influence each other, and that environmental uncertainty leads to changes in the knowledge integration process. However, the interplay of individual-level and group-level knowledge integration has not yet received adequate attention and prior studies do not show how knowledge integration changes over shorter periods of time. This paper takes a grounded theory approach to explore the knowledge integrating mechanisms in two agile product development teams. The resulting iterative process model shows how agile teams integrate diverse contributions of individual team members into a new product, how internal and external factors trigger alterations in knowledge integration practices, and how agile teams adapt to changes in coordination and collaboration demands. Keywords: Agile product development; knowledge integration; cross-functional teams; organizational learning.Agile product development seems to be the solution for many companies to drive innovation and shorten time-to-market, but what mechanisms lie behind the promises of faster development times and more innovative products? Defined as locus of innovation and driver of dynamic performance, the concept of cross-functional knowledge integration and the organizational learning literature have the potential to provide answers here. Recent empirical studies imply that knowledge integration happens on multiple levels that influence each other, and that environmental uncertainty leads to changes in the knowledge integration process. However, the interplay of individual-level and group-level knowledge integration has not yet received adequate attention and prior studies do not show how knowledge integration changes over shorter periods of time. This paper takes a grounded theory approach to explore the knowledge integrating mechanisms in two agile product development teams. The resulting iterative process model shows how agile teams integrate diverse contributions of individual team members into a new product, how internal and external factors trigger alterations in knowledge integration practices, and how agile teams adapt to changes in coordination and collaboration demands. Keywords: Agile product development; knowledge integration; cross-functional teams; organizational learning

Approaches to motor learning: Cognitive approach versus ecological dinamyc one

The aim is to deepen the knowledge on the scientific evidence between the biomedical and pedagogical part and on the differences of the two approaches commonly used for teaching / learning processes: the cognitive and ecological-dynamic approach on one's own characteristics and specific paradigms. The retrieval of scientific literature took place through the use of specialized web research on: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, PMCfreearticle, CrossRef by PRISMA method. Motor learning is the stabilized execution of a given movement, executive technique, or gesture. It means that in the face of a number of repetitions most are performed correctly. Cognitive approach places the person at the centre of the teaching / learning process, neglecting the inferences that the surrounding environment produces. Ecological-dynamic approach, which considers motor coordination as an organization emerging from the peripheral constraints of the system rather than from central control structures, is defined as ecological, since it does not consider the aspects of motor coordination within the individual but, more generally, the complex interaction between the individual and the environment and the circular relationship between perception and action. The characteristics and paradigms of two approaches highlight two opposite ways to motor learning with an unsolved problem on which one is correct to use in physical education and sports performance

How does knowledge circulate in a regulatory network ? : Observing a European Platform of Regulatory Authorities meeting

Multi-level networks of regulatory authorities are considered as vectors of knowledge circulation, norm diffusion, and regulatory coordination. However, this is often assumed without empirical scrutiny of the concrete “micro-dynamics” between individual participants in networks, which remain a “black box” for analysts. This paper is mainly based on direct observation and informal interviews conducted during a meeting of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities in charge of regulation of the broadcasting sector. It seeks to elucidate what deliberation, socialization, and learning, considered as devices typical of “soft” governance modes, mean as concrete social practices within a network

Enhancing Regional RTD and Innovation Development through Foresight & Mentoring : Scenario Development and Action Plan for RTD and Innovation Promotion up to 2020 in Zurich, Switzerland

The Regional Economic RTD Policy through Foresight & Mentoring (REFORM) project was one of 18 projects funded under the Sixth Framework Programme within the ‘Regions of Knowledge 2’ call, which were launched in 2006 with the aim to promote increased and improved regional investment in research and development through mutual learning, coordination and collaboration between regional policy developers and regional initiatives. It is accepted that it is essential to enhance the integration and coordination between private and public R&D investments, and to provide appropriate support through R&D policy and infrastructure, to promote economic progress in Europe. The REFORM project developed, supported and implemented a variety of measures and activities which will enable regions to understand their particular needs to enable increased RTD activity and investment in the future. Through mechanisms such as Foresight and a new Mentoring Programme, the project developed a number of individual action plans for partners, which will provide the infrastructure for new RTD policy and its implementation, and thus increase the economic growth of the EU as a whole. Additional actions, including study visits, workshops and a conference supported the transfer of good practice and knowledge to those regions in the developmental stages of increasing RTD investment, increasing the rate of transfer through hands on support, promotion and participation.The Regional Economic RTD Policy through Foresight & Mentoring (REFORM) project was one of 18 projects funded under the Sixth Framework Programme within the ‘Regions of Knowledge 2’ call, which were launched in 2006 with the aim to promote increased and improved regional investment in research and development through mutual learning, coordination and collaboration between regional policy developers and regional initiatives. It is accepted that it is essential to enhance the integration and coordination between private and public R&D investments, and to provide appropriate support through R&D policy and infrastructure, to promote economic progress in Europe. The REFORM project developed, supported and implemented a variety of measures and activities which will enable regions to understand their particular needs to enable increased RTD activity and investment in the future. Through mechanisms such as Foresight and a new Mentoring Programme, the project developed a number of individual action plans for partners, which will provide the infrastructure for new RTD policy and its implementation, and thus increase the economic growth of the EU as a whole. Additional actions, including study visits, workshops and a conference supported the transfer of good practice and knowledge to those regions in the developmental stages of increasing RTD investment, increasing the rate of transfer through hands on support, promotion and participation

“The Illusion of Collaboration”: An Integrated Examination of the Antecedents, Processes, and Consequences of Online Group Work

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) presents postsecondary educators with a conundrum: how to design and support small-group activities without stifling deep and meaningful learning. The literature indicates that students are not consistently practicing higher-order cognitive activities, educators are not reliably designing or facilitating them, and/or researchers are not locating or identifying them where they are occurring. The aim of this dissertation is to explore these deficits by identifying the antecedent conditions that most affect collaboration. Specifically, I answer the question, how do learner’s prior knowledge, characteristics, and experiences manifest in their collaborative processes. Addressing a gap in the literature, this study employs distance ethnography to assess at a fine-grain level the social and cognitive interactions of a trio of collaborators in a natural setting—an object-oriented, small-group project in an online writing course. The results reveal several ways that learner dispositions and prior knowledge manifest as barriers to productive interactions, including tendencies toward indirect and unidirectional communication; siloed workspaces and individual orientations to group assignments; unequal coordination work; and the preservation of individual autonomy to the detriment of group knowledge objects. The study has pedagogical and theoretical implications related to the theory of transactional distance (TTD) and collaborative cognitive load theory (CCLT) and pedagogical and methodological implications for the integration of reflective-practitioner journals