Sense-Making Patterns in Online Intergroup Dialogues Around Politically Charged Topics

• In Event: Learning in Technology-Based Environments

Abstract

This study explores the dynamics between collective sense-making and collaboration quality among teams engaged in intergroup dialogues around politically charged topics in a computer-supported collaborative learning context. As the first step of our long-term efforts to design pedagogical tools for modelling difficult conversation in diverse teams, we examined how a low and a high-collaboration-quality team (defined by a pre-existing collaboration rubric) made collective sense of the discussion topics. For that, we conducted a microanalysis of discussions to identify intergroup communication patterns (engaging self, appreciating differences, critical reflection and alliance building; Nagda, 2006) among different collaborative process-quality teams. Findings showed that while high and low-collaboration-quality teams each evinced these intergroup communication patterns, higher-collaborative team tended to have more sophisticated discussions.

Authors

• Tugce Aldemir, University of Connecticut - Storrs

• Marcela Borge, The Pennsylvania State University

• Jose Soto, Pennsylvania State University