We develop a online learning application, DiaCog, that supplements students’ classroom learning, by establishing dialog interactions whereby students discuss new concepts and jointly solve problems.
DiaCog is an online tool which is designed for argumentation support by enabling the construction of structured patterns (e.g. helping, information-seeking, information probing and instructing) of communication in an ongoing dialog between online learners.DiaCog has capability of structuring the instructional dialog which provides a stimulating online environment for participants to structure their thinking, observe the ongoing path of the interaction and shape their thinking style in a particular online dialog.
DiaCog research project aims to empower teachers and students with DiaCog online tool for measuring, tracking, and promoting effective communication, collaboration, and learning skills. We envision that the DiaCog application will forward pedagogy goals for 21st Century skills, including collaborative learning and knowledge-building, as established by the Ministry of Education in Singapore.
How it Works?
To turn DIACOG into a successful online instructional tool, it is required in the phase of argumentation and/or dialog to pre-define a few elements such as a) goals to express the meaning that the participants wish to convey, b) roles for the participants, c) structure specific moves, and d) rules in order to activate intended goals. Every dialog in DIACOG starts with a topic, which is a seed move enabling the participants to react on it. This initial seed topic defines the overall goal of whole argumentation. In a learning scenario that engages collaborative critical thinking, these topics should be carefully selected by the author in order to create an atmosphere to initiate argumentation for the participants. For seeding the dialog in DIACOG, usually tutors use questions to be discussed on as a starting point. The participants are required to select the seed to start the dialogue.
The ultimate goal of the participants would be to show and/or develop their understanding of the topic and practice their skills of argumentation in order to carry on with the dialogue. DIACOG activities may be carried in a turn-taking approach to ensure that dialogues remain coherent, logically and coherently displayed and appear more linear. The participant who has the turn selects one of the moves form a list or a menu of predefined move categories (e.g. “Inform”, “Question” “Challenge”, “Reason”, “Agree”, “Maintain”) and then selects specific locution openers to begin to build their expressions. Well selected locution openers help participants to focus on particular aspects of the dialog. The openers may encourage participants to keep structuring their arguments and consequently produce more solid responses. The game openers also require participants to think about the pattern and structure of the ongoing dialog.
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