Digging In: Designs that Develop Intersubjectivity in Course Room Discourse

The purpose of this roundtable discussion was to explore factors that influence the design of the initial discussion prompts in course-based, online learning. The initial prompt is one of the first pieces of scaffolding necessary for the knowledge construction requisite in a constructivist learning environment. As a means of stimulating conversation among conference participants, intersubjectivity was asserted as a quality standard that is different from the current state of discourse in threaded discussions. Intersubjectivity is the representation of knowledge construction achieved through a synergistic progression from individual contributions to sequences of interdependent contributions. The highly interactive format of a roundtable was sought in order to elicit feedback on what participants had found to be effective or ineffective designs in facilitating deep interaction and knowledge construction with the expectation that the roundtable conversations about best (and not-so-best) practices could inspire additional points of consideration for disciplined inquiry in the future. DIGGING IN: DESIGNS that DEVELOP INTERSUBJECTIVITY in COURSE ROOM DISCOURSE The initial prompt is one of the first pieces of scaffolding necessary for the knowledge construction requisite in a constructivist learning environment. Intersubjectivity is the representation of that knowledge construction achieved through the synergistic progression from individual contributions to sequences of interdependent contributions. Instructional designers should continue to recognize that the strength of the construction of knowledge, as evidenced in the threaded discussion, depends upon the strength of the scaffolding that supports that construction. This brief paper connects relevant theory to the practice of designing initial discussion prompts, summarizes the importance of intersubjectivity in threaded discussions, offers evidence of the current state of course room discourse, and suggests implications for instructional designers. Connecting Theory and Practice According to Lim (2004), the communication that occurs in any learning environment is the most important aspect of the educational process that happens in that environment. Lim’s assertion is consistent with social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978), which acknowledges that interaction through dialogue is crucial to cognitive development. Since the majority of the dialogue in the online learning environment occurs through the discussion boards (Jeong, 2003; Schwartman, 2006; Thompson, 2009), learners who engage these discussion boards should be able to achieve a high level of cognitive processing (Thomas, 2002). The term intersubjectivity has been used to describe the result of coordinating cognitive perspectives within the discourse of online learners (Dennen & Wieland, 2007). An effective means of determining the level of cognitive process is Bloom’s taxonomy (Jorgensen, 2009). Effectively planning the use of discussion boards is important in achieving this high level of cognitive engagement (Tu & Corry, 2003), and one element of planning for cognitive engagement is the design of the initial discussion prompts (Asherian, 2007; DeLoach & Greenlaw, 2007). Why Intersubjectivity is Important Given the role of the threaded discussion in the construction of knowledge that occurs within an online course (Calvani et al., 2010), the interaction that occurs within threaded discussions is important to achieving the learning objectives of instruction situated within a constructivist environment. Successful knowledge construction requires “active and broad participation” (Sing & Khine, 2006, p. 254) occurring at a higher level than surface interaction, as noted by Dennen and Wieland (2007). Knowledge construction at this more advanced level of interaction occurs through the opportunities for cognitive engagement required for the higher-order learning processes indicated by Bloom’s taxonomy (Bloom & Krathwohl, 1956). Interaction alone neither produces nor