Abstract: Social Media like Facebook have become new arenas for ... Argumentation scripts and group awareness may foster patterns of online exchange that.
Group Awareness and Argumentation Scripts: Fostering Socio-Cognitive Conflict and Argumentation in Facebook-Based Seminar Discussions T. Puhl, D. Tsovaltzi, A. Weinberger, Saarland University Abstract: Social Media like Facebook have become new arenas for argumentation and may be repurposed for learning. To address the impact of these new cultural practices of sharing in social networks, it is necessary to conduct long-term studies and to understand argumentative processes beyond isolated technology-based learning environments: what influences them, if and how they can be repurposed for learning. Such studies can contribute to the longstanding interest in argumentation in the learning sciences and can provide insights on how argumentation scripts are internalized over time. Social networking sites provide an opportunity to investigate, but also foster argumentative processes on a larger scale. Argumentation scripts and group awareness may foster patterns of online exchange that consider the rational implications of the arguments, and that pronounce the responsibility towards the group. This 2×2 field study (N=105) aims to extend knowledge about analyzing and supporting argumentation processes by examining how Facebook can be harnessed for argumentative learning through group awareness tools (with vs. without) and argumentation scripts (with vs. without). We find main effects for both conditions on processes of argumentative knowledge construction and domain-specific knowledge. We show and discuss how argumentation practices are being increasingly shared among a class of learners over the course of nine weeks when appropriately supported.
Argumentative Knowledge Construction (AKC) is the deliberate practice of elaborating learning material by constructing formally and semantically sound arguments with the goal of gaining argumentative and domainspecific knowledge (Andriessen, 2006). Learners typically have problems to formulate sound arguments (Kuhn, 1991). Fostering these skills in online environments proves a challenge. Educational technology, such as computer-supported collaboration scripts, argument diagrams, or awareness tools seem to foster formal argumentation, but not domain-specific knowledge (Wecker & Fischer, 2014). Potentially, some of these approaches are too coercive (e.g. scripts) for learners to actively self-regulate their AKC processes, and others too subtle (e.g. awareness tools) to have an effect on learners' self-regulation. Scripts are socio-cognitive structures that specify, sequence, and distribute learners’ roles and activities in collaborative learning scenarios, e.g., by prompting learners to warrant their claims (Weinberger, Stegmann & Fischer, 2010). Scripts can activate existing or develop new procedural knowledge (Fischer, Kollar, Stegmann, & Wecker, 2013) and substantially improve processes and outcomes of joint argumentative knowledge construction. GATs aim to foster domain-specific knowledge by visualizing and feeding back information on sometimes covert group processes and states to learners, such as how knowledge is distributed within a group (Janssen & Bodemer, 2013). GATs can enhance the collaboration process, especially by highlighting controversy in discussions, and seem to impact group processes, like socio-emotional and motivational processes that are meant to support AKC (Buder & Bodemer, 2008). While scripts can model adequate argumentative moves, GATs can make lines of ongoing argumentation and attitudes salient. While GATs rely on high self-regulation skills of learners, scripts externally regulate argumentative practices. However, there is little knowledge on how GATs and scripts support internalization of argumentative practices over time. We investigate the effects of a GAT and argumentation script on processes and outcomes of AKC. We conjecture that over time the GAT and the script will interact in fostering argumentation and domain-specific learning gains. Method In a 2×2 quasi-experimental field-study with factors GAT and argumentation script, 105 German teacher trainees participated in weekly seminars on Communication and Interaction and had to fill out a communication questionnaire. Seminar groups were accompanied by Facebook groups, where students received tasks over a time period of 9 weeks, in which they were to discuss problem cases based on the theories they are being taught in the face-to-face seminar”
GAT: Students in the first experimental condition reflected on their communication attitude as a teacher by answering a case-based communication questionnaire with cases from social interactions in the school. The result of the questionnaire was presented to the experimental groups with a GAT within Facebook as a graphic visualization of their own position regarding their communication attitude in relation to others. Argumentation script: Students in the second experimental condition received a weekly argumentation script in the form of feedback to arguments posted in the Facebook group. They had to pick and “like” the best argument. The feedback evaluated the epistemic (theoretical concepts and relations) and the formal (reasoning and evidence) quality of argumentation for two selected arguments. Instruments: Domain-specific knowledge was assessed by the course exam containing definitions, facts, and higher order discursive processes like theory-based interpretations and argumentations. Process analysis was based on an adapted version of Weinberger & Fischer's framework (2006) on epistemic and formal quality of arguments.
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Mean (formal quality)
Mean (epistemic quality)
Results An ANOVA with repeated measures, showed a significant effect for the interaction between time and epistemic quality, F(6;606)=3.81; p
