The problem / intent

The effectiveness of collaborative learning tends to grow with the length of discussions and social interactions. Yet this requires that learners will remain engaged with the activity for a prolonged period. This is a challenge in the case of distributed, web-based communities.

The context

Learning activities conducted via a web-based collaborative medium.

The pattern

Sustaining social interaction is essential to the quality of collaborative knowledge-building in on-line communities. Substantial conversations do not emerge spontaneously - they have to be engendered by design. Such design has to consider both the system interface and the activity structure.

• Allow for Facilitation within the collaborative system, by human or artificial agents, and designate reliable facilitators.
  
• Reciprocation is a powerful source of social interaction. Build it into the activity design.
  
• A sense of Performance and Audience awareness affect learners' willingness to contribute. They need to be fostered and directed.
  
• Provide Narrative spaces for natural and free-flowing conversation.
  

Related patterns

Leads to: Performance, Audience awareness, Narrative spaces
Elaborates: Collaboration
Elaborated by: Visualised social dynamics, Facilitation

Examples

The success of Guess my X style games using the WebReports system, such as Guess my robot, is attributed largely to careful management of the above elements.

References

João Filipe Matos and Yishay Mor and Richard Noss and Madalena Santos (2005). Sustaining Interaction in a Mathematical Community of Practice. Fourth Congress of the European Society for Research in Mathematics Education (CERME-4), Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain.