Enhancing online collaborative argumentation through question elaboration and goal instructions

Abstract

Computer-supported collaborative argumentation can improve understanding and problemsolving skills. This study uses WebCT to explore the improvement of argumentation in asynchronous, web-based discussions through goal instructions, which are statements at the end of a discussion prompt indicating what students should achieve. In a previous study (Nussbaum 2005), the goal instruction 'generate as many reasons as possible' resulted in more balanced argumentation in an online environment. This study attempts to replicate this finding. It also examines the role of prior attitudes, knowledge and interest, and also the effect of elaborating on possible lines of reasoning in the question prompt. The goal instruction to generate as many reasons as possible (goal/no goal) was crossed with question elaboration (elaborated/ unelaborated question) in a 2 ¥ 2 randomized design using 131 undergraduates. Half of the participants were randomly assigned to complete the attitude survey before discussion. Results indicated that, when prior knowledge was controlled, the reason goal instruction positively affected argument development and opposing view exploration, but only for high-issue knowledge students. The sheer volume of notes created by the online environment may have caused cognitive overload for low-issue knowledge students. Question elaboration promoted balanced argumentation for all students, but especially those with low knowledge.

The Role of Argumentation in Hypothetico-Deductive Reasoning During Problem-Based Learning in Medical Education: A Conceptual Framework

“…Means and Voss (1996) proposed that argumentation in the form of interactions between students plays a central role in students' reasoning and learning by stimulating the recognition and retrieval of knowledge, which can help them generate better inferences and engage in the problemsolving process. In other words, argumentation in a supportive dialogical setting is used as a vehicle for group members to formulate and share their ideas, to consider multiple perspectives on an issue, and to question, justify, and evaluate their own and others' arguments (Baker, 2003;Brown & Redmond, 2007;Golanics & Nussbaum, 2008).…”

How Design Science Research Helps Improve Learning Efficiency in Online Conversations

“…Second, the experimental group students' mutually decided shared focus on trouble spots from text possibly prevented them from losing face as they discussed their own incomplete or erroneous ideas. Given that many studies demonstrate the fear of losing face constitutes one reason why students do not post online discussion messages coded as exploring dissonance and negotiating meaning (e.g., Golanics & Nussbaum, 2008;Jeong, 2013), this finding expands our understanding of how to improve the depth of knowledge building in Gunawardena et al's (1997) content-analysis instrument. However, an important caveat in this interpretation is that we did not measure students' fear of losing face.…”

“…Despite the importance assigned to the first activity, prior research underscores that students are often hesitant to disagree with their peers and reveal their lack of understandings for the fear of losing face. For example, Golanics and Nussbaum (2008) demonstrate that students' fear of losing face in online discussions impedes their own progress at developing better understanding of a topic. Schwarz and De Groot (2007) also present evidence that the fear of losing face from fellow students' discussing one's incomplete or erroneous idea can cause a student to engage in self-esteem defensive behavior.…”

Estado del arte de la investigación sobre argumentación y escritura multimodal desde una perspectiva didáctica

“…En este sentido, algunas investigaciones han demostrado que el uso de recursos y aplicaciones provenientes de las TIC como soporte para el aprendizaje aumentan las interacciones entre pares y el desarrollo de habilidades argumentativas; se mejora la comprensión y la resolución de problemas, y se fortalece la reflexión crítica (Collins y Collins, 1996;Ward y Tiessen, 1997;Golanics, y Nussbaum, 2007).…”