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what was studied
In this study, the authors were interested in developing a comprehensive framework for studying social knowledge construction in online communities. Specifically, they were interested in the affordances and constraints of online community environments in fostering high levels of discussion and interaction within professional collaborative teams. Toward this end, the researchers conducted a reflexive case study, examining their own online bi-weekly collaborative sessions (12 members total) held in a virtual online professional development institutute for teachers (the Teacher Professional Development Institute, TAPPED IN) over a one-year period. This case study served as a pilot test of their theoretical framework and generated ideas for how one might go about automating the evaluation of online collaborative work.
how effectiveness was measured
The extent to which the online collaborative work served as a mechanism for social knowledge construction was assessed within an over-arching framework that united four major theoretical perspectives (below). In this case study, the researchers examined the transcripts generated by the online evironment for evidence of social knowledge construction within the group.
The four theoretical perspectives included the following:
Situative-Sociocultural Theory, which conceptualizes community activities as a complex social system rather than as isolated events within individual minds. From this perspective, groups should (a) exhibit a reasonable level of apprenticing episodes, events in which more experienced members of the group spend time mentoring new members. They should also (b) develop boundary constructs –conceptual points of intersection between different group members' thinking that (c) are negotiated and refined over time. In addition, groups should (d) develop normative practices and procedures for using tools and other resources so that a shared set of community practices can evolve over time.
Sociocognitive Theory, which focuses attention on the role of conceptual conflict and its resolution in the development of shared understanding. From this perspective, learning is the result of incorporating new knowledge into one's current understanding (when the information in consistent with what one previously thought) or reconceptualizing one's previous understanding (when the new information is in conflict). Therefore, the resolution of mismatches among group members' understanding is another important characteristic of knowledge constructing social entities; members' task-related mental models should become more and more aligned over the course of their collaboration.
Reasoned Argumentation as a Normative Standard for Interaction, which emphasizes that the deliberative process of work groups should be well-reasoned and based on evidence. Groups' decision-making should be based on a careful weighing of the arguments on all sides, making dialogic argumentation a key feature of group process.
Group Information Processing Theory, which highlights the information-sharing practices that best serve collaborative work. From this perspective, broad sharing of knowledge across social, cultural, and professional boundaries is one key indicator of the extent to which group members are engaging with one another in productive ways. Productive attentional processes (e.g., avoiding distractions and information overload) are another key indicator; groups that exhibit more attention-supporting practices, avoid attention-blocking ones, and/or develop practices to compensate for the sometimes-entangled nature of multi-thread talk help insure that the group as a unit functions in productive ways. In addition, the trajectory of information transformation – from private, unshared knowledge to shared ephemeral ideas to tangible group product – sheds light on how the group builds and maintains shared understanding and artifacts over time.
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