Co-reflection in online learning: Collaborative critical thinking as narrative

Abstract

This article presents findings from a comparative case study of the learning experiences of two graduate students in an online action research course. The key roles played by reflection and co-reflection, an emerging concept, are identified through the use of narrative analysis. Co-reflection is a collaborative critical thinking process mediated by language, broadly construed to include all meaningful signs. Two types of co-reflection are proposed: tacit and active. Regardless of type, the evidence shows that co-reflection involves cognitive and affective interactions in synergy with relationship building. To the study of group cognition, this study contributes evidence of the potential of co-reflection as a core process. The simple, flexible software tools used in the course (wiki-style collaborative software and simple email and chat programs) effectively supported inquiry learning and co-reflection by allowing learners to freely and easily create their own web pages and to adapt the tools for their different communication and learning styles.

A systemic and cognitive view on collaborative knowledge building with wikis

“…Wikis' potential for collaborative learning lies in their ability to allow for debate-based learning experiences (Chong and Yamamoto 2006) or to facilitate shaping of knowledge (Reinhold 2006). Wikis can be regarded as media which support learning due to their ability to facilitate collaboration (Kim et al 2006;Notari 2006), to allow for design-based learning (Rick and Guzdial 2006), to enhance inventiveness (Guzdial et al 2001), and to support inquiry learning and the co-construction of knowledge (Yukawa 2006). Overall, wikis can be considered to support social constructivist learning in general (Bruns and Humphreys 2005).…”

“…Whereas blogs and file-sharing systems mainly serve for pooling information, wikis have special potential for computer-supported collaborative knowledge building and learning (Bruns and Humphreys 2005;Chong and Yamamoto 2006;Kim et al 2006;Reinhold 2006;Wang and Turner 2005;Yukawa 2006). …”

A Habermasian perspective on joint meaning making online: What does it offer and what are the difficulties?

“…In a third example, Yukawa's (2006) interest in intersubjective understanding led to a concern for 'truth, sincerity and rightness' as evidence of the co-construction of knowledge. This led to the marshalling of evidence within a narrative inquiry of two graduate students' projects related to telementoring of school students.…”

A framework for conceptualizing, representing, and analyzing distributed interaction

“…This research includes a diverse portfolio of studies of co-present and distributed interaction, via various synchronous and asynchronous media, and at scales including dyads, small groups, and online communities. Our research methods have included experimental studies Suthers, Vatrapu, Medina, Joseph, & Dwyer, 2008;), activity-theoretic and narrative analysis of cases (Suthers, Yukawa, & Harada, 2007;Yukawa, 2006), adaptations of conversation analysis Medina, Suthers, & Vatrapu, 2009), and hybrid methods (Dwyer, 2007;Dwyer & Suthers, 2006). Through the diversity of our work, we have come to appreciate that the analytic challenges outlined above are not specific to one setting or method, and we have been motivated to find a solution that gives our work conceptual coherence rather than solutions that are specific to one type of environment and/or type of analysis.…”