Online%20Pedagogy%20with%20Discussion%20Management%20Software

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Online Pedagogy with Discussion Management
Software

• Andrew Feenberg
• http//www.rohan.sdsu.edu/faculty/feenberg
• San Diego State University
• Prepared for the American Association of
  University Professors Annual Meeting, Washington,
  DC, June 9, 2000

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Introduction

• Origins of online education
• Pedagogical lessons
• lectures out, discussions in
• importance of leadership
• topics and weaving
• Problems with early systems
• discussion management
• presentation
• contextualization

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The Web

• Presentation techniques
• syllabus
• reading list
• background materials
• Discussion forums
• The balance between presentation and discussion
• all discussion but no presentation in early phase
• all presentation in proposed automated systems
• discussion as backbone, presentation as
  supplement
• Discussion management the unsolved problem

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Whats wrong with conventional Newsgroup or
discussion software

• Composing and reading at the same time is
  difficult
• Composition space is often small and primitive
• Keywording by authors is unreliable and difficult
  to use for review
• Re-using text is not supported

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The Composition Interface
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The Active Reading Interface Improving
Keywording

• Active reading means keywording while
  reading to create hypertext stacks
• Keyword a text by double-clicking a
  word at the beginning of the text and
  then clicking a keyword.
• Keyword mark is a post-it note that can be edited
• Review hypertext stacks by double-clicking a
  keyword and the review starts with most current
  item
• Right clicking keyword brings up a pop-up menu
  with options (Add, Delete, Print, Save, etc.)

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The Active Reading Interface Improving
Keywording
Browser
teaching online.
Keywords Pedagogy Interface Weaving Training
etc.
Weaving to summarize the state of the
discussion and to find unifying threads in
participants comments it encourages these
participants and prompts then to pursue their
ideas. Many conferences lack weaving because
no one has the time or the talent to perform the
function for the group. This is unfortunate
since, as a written medium, conferencing offers a
unique opportunity to reflect upon the agenda of
the group. The conference moderator or another
participant can review
Composing
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The Online File Cabinet Supporting re-use of
text
Browser
Reading
Keywords
File cabinet
Openers
Topics
Cases
Closer
Composing

• Drag and drop from reading window
• Drag and drop to and from composition window