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InterMedia
University of Oslo
P.O. Box 1161 Blindern
NO-0318 Oslo
Norway

Ph: +47 2284 0700
Fax: +47 2284 0592
e-post@intermedia.uio.no

This project takes the small group as the unit of analysis in order to study development of collective cognition. The focus is on how digital networks and a series of ICTs can offer new opportunities for collective approaches to complex problems.

 

The project is based on a sociogenetic perspective, i.e. acts of cognition are seen as primarily socially and culturally mediated actions. Within such a perspective, individual cognition is often seen as appropriation processes while group cognition has received less attention. The present framework seeks to apply a social epistemology and promote a more robust and conceptual understanding of group cognition as more than the sum of individual efforts. The zone of proximal development is given a collective interpretation; i.e. it is seen as a juncture for social trajectories of humans and artifacts.

 

The sociocultural perspective underpinning the present project is here sought applied to the methodological design. This involves a context sensitive approach where the total ecology of the learning environment is sought. Through classroom observations, recordings and logged online discourse the aim is to capture and make visible layers of activity (learner – learner, learner- teacher, learner – technologies) as well as longitudinal aspects. The overall research plan builds on design experiments.

 

Empirical data will be analyzed using discourse analysis. Collective cognition can be made visible in spoken and written language, i.e. how participants align and develop meaning making through speech acts. These will be analyzed for subject content as well as how they function to organize joint development of higher order skills. Analysis is predominantly qualitative, although some quantitative methods will be used to disclose discourse patterns.

 

Theoretically, the project aims to conceptualize group thinking. There are implications for didactics, teacher education and classroom practices. Consequently, the project seeks to contribute to research on collaborative learning as well as the development of (subject) didactics.

 

The meaning of “2”: Multilogue mediated assessment as collective cognition. Paper to be presented at CSCL SIG First Symposium, October 7-9, 2004, Lausanne, Switzerland.