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Full-Text Articles in Education

Online But Off-Topic: Establishing Common Ground In Small Learning Groups, Trena M. Paulus Jan 2009

Online But Off-Topic: Establishing Common Ground In Small Learning Groups, Trena M. Paulus

Educational Psychology & Counseling Publications and Other Works

There is not yet a great deal of research in formal online learning environments focusing on the seemingly “off-topic” conversations that small groups engage in as they complete learning tasks together. This study uses the theory of common ground as a framework to explore what participants are talking about when not discussing the concepts to be learned and how participants negotiate common ground in distance learning environments, including their use of computer-mediated communication (CMC) tools. The email, discussion forum, and chat transcripts of ten small groups comprised of experienced distance learners were investigated using computer-mediated discourse analysis, particularly attending to …


Community Collaboration And Communication In The Design Studio, Noam Austerlitz, Avigail Sachs Jan 2006

Community Collaboration And Communication In The Design Studio, Noam Austerlitz, Avigail Sachs

Architecture Publications and Other Works

Based on the authors teaching experience, this essay presents an example of how the traditional design studio might be modified so as to foster democratic participation and egalitarian communication between the participating students and instructors. Open communication in the studio is seen as the key to incorporating important values such as collaboration, community and respect for the every day environment into the studio's hidden curriculum. The essay begins by discussing the potentials for and obstacles to meaningful communication in the studio. This discussion is followed by a description of a modified studio project that included continuous role-playing on the part …