Exploring Argumentative Discourse and Collaboration Skills of Middle School Students in a Computer-Supported Critical Discussion Activity

• In Event: Thursday Roundtable Session 4:20 pm
  In Roundtable Session: Technology for Collaboration (Table 27)

Abstract

We describe efforts to design and test an online, collaborative environment to facilitate the development of middle school students’ argumentation skills. We conducted a study to examine 52 students’ dialogues in the context of a critical discussion activity and to explore their argumentation and collaboration skills. The study data consisted of over 8,000 dialogic turns across 13 teams. The teams had a wide range of participation in the critical discussion activity, indicating various levels of students’ engagement in developing and evaluating arguments. On average, 80% of the teams’ dialogues were about collaboration, in particular coordinating with their teammates about task responsibilities and progress. This presentation focuses on the design of the critical discussion activity and dialogic patterns in collaborative reasoning.

Authors

• Yi Song, Educational Testing Service

• Ralph P. Ferretti, College of Eucation and Human Development

• Chen Li, Educational Testing Service

• Wenju Cui, Educational Testing Service

• John P. Sabatini, University of Memphis