Approved-By:  "EDTECH Moderator" <21765EDT@MSU.BITNET>
Newsgroups: bit.listserv.edtech
Date:         Fri, 10 Apr 1992 08:20:58 EDT
From:         Gleason Sackman <sackman@plains.NoDak.edu>
Subject:      current research in CMC (2 of 3) (fwd)

Forwarded message:

> >
> > Critical Theory: seeks to illuminate the historical, structural,
> > and value bases of social phenomena and to catalyze political
> > and social change - not through particular methods, but through
> > awareness of one's situationally-located standpoint."
> > (Mason, in press, p. 2).
> >
> > These paradigms have been broadly applied; the determining
> > criterion used was the concept of knowledge assumed by the
> > researcher.  The majority of studies discussed assume an
> > objective knowledge to be explored and confirmed by experiment
> > using instruments developed and tested through a specific
> > discipline (Post-Positivism). A few responses, classed as
> > "position papers" in this review have resonance with the
> > Critical Theory paradigm in challenging the organizing forces
> > shaping our research and informing applications.  Finally,
> > preliminary studies are described which seek to construct
> > knowledge in context to a specific social forum (Interpretivism).
> >
> > A  Postpositivism
> >
> >   (i) "Differences between Computer and Non Computer Mediated
> >        Communication:  A Preliminary Experimental Study"
> >         Paul Scovell (April, 1991)
> >
> > This study used a quasi-experimental design drawing population
> > samples from both on-campus classroom students (non-CMC)
> > and members of on-line public bulletin boards (CMC)  Subjects
> > were asked to respond to a single question, and responses were
> > analyzed using a writing analysis tool (Grammatik III).  A
> > statistical analysis was conducted to determine significant
> > differences in writing style, content, level and clarity.
> >
> > Linguistic analysis is commonly used in CMC research due to the
> > textual nature of the medium.  Ferrara, Brunner and Whittemore
> > (1990) in their discussion of reduced register in CMC
> > communication identified specific characteristics, such
> > as copula deletion omission of articles, to study this
> > discourse community.  The use of instruments developed and/or
> > accepted in several different disciplines reflects the inter-
> > disciplinary convergence supported by research in technology.
> > While Scovell has chosen a tool developed to analyze and improve
> > written discourse, Roulet demonstrates in his on-line content
> > analysis a similar utilization of a more conventional tool
> > (Interact System Model) to research a new context. (Roulet, 1990)
> >
> > Scovell declines to generalize results due to the small sample
> > size, and the non-standard sample groups.  He intends to
> > conduct further studies in this area: "using the same approach
> > but using the same audience for the cross analysis.  There are
> > many implications for how we teach writing and what kinds of
> > effects the computer may have on the writing process.  There are
> > also implications for the teaching of writing specifically for
> > CMC, including word processing and the writing of E-Mail messages."
> > (P. Scovell, personal communication, March 17, 1992).
> >
> > (ii) "Cultural Contact and Chiming: Building an On-Line
> >        Community"  Boyd D. Davis and Jeutonne P. Brewer.
> >        March, 1992.
> >
> > This is continuing research investigating the nature and
> > effects of 'chiming', specifically in relation to constraints
> > of the medium of CMC.  Chiming has been defined as a metaphor
> > introduced by the researchers to refer to "the ways that topic,
> > metaphor, and syntax function as factors that create community
> > and conversation in electronic conference discourse". The current
> > study involves students in two "class-communities" and analyzes
> > the inter-community discourse in relation factors such as
> > cohesion, referentiality, repetition and politeness.
> >
> >  An interesting precedent study to this by Danowski (1982) in
> > his investigation of network-based analysis defines an
> > evolving form of social group segmentation which he labels
> > "infographic".  He suggests that communcation behaviours
> > which differ across demographic factors such as network
> > structure and variables.
> >
> > Levin, Kim, and Riel (1991) in their discussion of network
> > communities refer to "participant structures" developed
> > by Phillips to analyze interaction in educational settings.
> > The knowledge of structures most likely to succeed has been
> > built into studies such as the one under discussion insofar
> > as specified tasks, access, shared interest and a sense of
> > responsibility to the group have become "givens".  While Levin
> > et al in the 1991 study used intermessage reference analysis
> > to produce a graphic map of conversation, Boyd and Brewer have
> > chosen analysis tools from previous linguistic studies such as
> > Givon's measures of Referential Distance and Decay, and Biber's
> > Dimension 3.
> > Analysis of discourse in a situation controlled for external
> > variance is expected to contribute significant knowledge to
> > the construct of on-line community.  "Understanding the
> > predictable may help professionals design and analyze
> > additional models for computer-based writing" (Boyd Davis,
> > e-mail abstract, p. 3).  This research is warranted in a
> > traditional linguistic analysis of social communication.
> >
> > (iii) "Tools for the support of on-line cooperative
> >          problem-solving at a distance"  Elske Heeren, 1991.
> >
> > Research currently being conducted at the University of Twente,
> > Faculty of Education in Holland is investigating tools to
> > support group work conducted by students in distance education.
> > The researcher will study small groups of people working on
> > specific tasks related to "a field of declarative knowledge."
> > A concept mapping tool called "Begrip" will be introduced to
> > assess its value in support of problem solving.  This research
> > will have implications to the design of co-operative learning
> > environments.
> >
> > The empirical design of this study will allow a more close
> > investigation of the social and cognitive processes of group work.
> > Empirical studies such as that of Kiesler, Siegel and McGuire
> > on the social and psychological aspects of CMC have been limited,
> > due to the difficulty in establishing experimental conditions in
> > the educational community.  Statistical discourse analysis has
> > frequently been the chosen method, although content analysis such
> > as that of Harasim (1989) and Mason (1992) may prove more
> > valuable to the "construct" of knowledge.
> >
> > The research program of Heeren will find conceptual warrant
> > in the growing body of knowledge of co-operative group
> > work in education.  Evaluative and analytic studies by Hiltz
> > (1988) and Turoff (1989) of the EIES Project and system design
> > applications as described by Whitescarver et al (1988) have
> > brought forward knowledge and value claims to inform future
> > work such as this.
> >
> > (iv) "Annotating Practices of Writing Teachers: Electronic
> >         Mail feedback on ESL Student Writing"  Robert Hoffman
> >         March 1992
> >
> > In brief, this researcher is collecting data from transcripts
> > of e-mail materials written by students and marked/annotated
> > electronically by ESL teachers.  He is interviewing students
> > and teachers on attitudes towards the mediation, and the medium.
> > This study would appear to incorporate methodology from both the
> > linguistic tradition of discourse analysis, and more interpretive,
> > contextual evidence which will be used to support value claims.
> >
> > The contact has been included here for two reasons. This
> > investigation represents an interesting research perspective
> > insofar as systems of annotation are an aspect of pedagogy,
> > rather than linguistic tradition and will therefore generate
> > claims relevant to education.  As the study of electronic
> > technologies expands and feeds into a growing body of
> > knowledge(s), studies of special populations such as ESL students
> > will appear more frequently. This is becoming evident from
> > conversations on the listservers, with one of the more recent
> > lists being created to discuss issues concerning disadvantaged
> > and handicapped communicators.
> >
> >   (v) "The relationship between personality and e-mail
> >        usage"  R. Carroll and R. Schipke. May 1991.
> >
> > This study used a standard instrument from the discipline of
> > Psychology, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, to explore the
> > relationship between e-mail usage in a freshman composition
> > class and personality type.  Transcript analysis of e-mail was
> > conducted for frequency and communication type.
> >
> > The most definitive study of the social/psychological
> > characteristics of CMC users to date appears to be Hiltz's
> > study (1988) in her final evaluation of the virtual classroom.
> > Data was collected primarily by questionnaire may therefore
> > be considered less reliable than less subjective data; however,
> > the size of the sample population studied lends credibility to
> > the interpretation.  The work by Carroll and Schipke would be
> > replicable in the tradition of post-positive research, and
> > provides evidence warranted by a social science ideology.
> >
> > B Position Papers
> >
> > "External change, then, may be considered the prime character-
> > istic that distinguishes technology from unembodied knowledge.
> > In the sense that change or rearrangement is necessarily a
> > consequence of or a type of application, we might say
> > that there is no such thing as unapplied technology...At the
> > same time, all technologies originate in acts of understanding
> > in the wholly intellectual, purely Kantian interplay of mind
> > and matter that is knowledge" (Levinson, 1988, p. 73).
> >
> > In the course of collecting current research for review, several
> > papers were received which state a position, propose a research
> > orientation or review the state of the technology.  The four
> > papers briefly outlined in this section are indicative of both
> > the breadth of the field, and the potential for further study.
> > Mason cites a discussion by Gary Boyd of the concept of "life-
> > world" and "rational discourse" (Boyd, 1989) as an example of
> > the Critical Theory paradigm as applied to computer conferencing.
> > With this in mind, the papers received from Sam LanFranco
> > entitled "Thinking about Computer Mediated Education", and
> > "Teaching the Expert, the Citizen and the Wise in the Computer
> > Age" appear to introduce an aspect of Critical Theory.  In both
> > papers, there is an "awareness of one's situationally-located
> > standpoint" which typifies this paradigm.
> >
> > The first paper, dealing ostensibly with the design of computer
> > based educational facilities in Ecuador contains several
> > references to positions, values or beliefs about the relation
> > of technology and societal change. "It was viewed as an exercise
> > in technology transfer and innovation.  The belief behind the
> > paradigm is that the new computer mediated technologies will
> > change the way in which knowledge is produced, distributed,
> > stored and used.  In particular, computers linked to computer
> > mediated communications will transform  social processes in
> > a third revolutionary wave..." (Lanfranco, 1992b, p.2) and "A
> > technological revolution is most accepted by society and most
> > pervasive when its features disappear into the fabric of everyday
> > activity" (1992b, p. 3).
> >
> > The second paper challenges the continuation of certain social
> > roles as currently defined:  "I will focus on the decomposition
> > of the skills of the expert, its implications for social process
> > and the issue of where 'wisdom' resides in society..." (Lanfranco,
> > 1992a, p. 2) and "With society having networked access to 'facts'
> > and 'tools', attention will shift toward the notion of the wisdom
> > of the group, as opposed to the wisdom of the expert..." (1992a, p.
> > 3).  Lanfranco proceeds further to state that: "...if the computer
> > age makes the 'facts set' and analytical skills increasingly
> > available to all, why should these resources be private, corporate,
> > intellectual properties..." (1992a, p.3).
> >
> > Ed Lowry has submitted a unique article entitled "Formal Language
> > as a Medium for Technical Education" in which he discusses the
> > development of a universal language, called Leibniz to support
> > technical literacy.  The rationale and grounding for this new
> > language form is in linguistics, cognitive science and philosophy.
> > The language would be built up of "primitives" which reduce
> > "extraneous complexity", thus improving the accuracy of system
> > modelling, and clarity of understanding.  While highly theoretical,
> > the proposed language, if approached by way of the "reduced
> > register" of Ferrara, Brunner and Whittemore (1990) or related work
> > in concept mapping by Novak (as cited by Lowry) can be viewed as a
> > construct in need of focus questions.  It would be appropriate to
> > ask how well the nodal structure will support a non-linear process
> > such as CMC, or to test the graphic potential of the language
> > structure in terms of concept mapping.
> >
> > The final article in this section is a discussion paper by
> > Michael Day, which takes as its focus the rhetoric of the new
> > writing classroom.  With reference to ENFI (networked real-time
> > written conversation in the composition classroom), Day proceeds
> > to raise process questions from his background in the study of
> > rhetoric.  Rhetoric he defines as "the search for the best
> > available means of persuasion" (as per Aristotle).  Using
> > transcript references to support his perspective, he suggests three
> > areas of focus:  interactions between teacher and the student
> > (authority, control, self-validation); student to student
> > interactions (hierarchy, norms, affect);interaction between student
> > and the subject matter.  The article is oriented to applications of
> > CMC, but suggestive of a research perspective based in an ancient
> > art.

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