Investigation of the "Convince Me" Computer Environment as a Tool for Critical Argumentation about Public Policy Issues

Autor/in	Adams, Stephen T.
Titel	Investigation of the "Convince Me" Computer Environment as a Tool for Critical Argumentation about Public Policy Issues
Quelle	In: Journal of Interactive Learning Research, 14 (2003) 3, S.263-283 (21 Seiten)Infoseite zur Zeitschrift PDF als Volltext Verfügbarkeit
Sprache	englisch
Dokumenttyp	gedruckt; online; Zeitschriftenaufsatz
ISSN	1093-023X
Schlagwörter	Feedback (Response); Public Policy; Persuasive Discourse; Climate; Critical Thinking; Instructional Design; Educational Technology; Electronic Learning; Computer Assisted Instruction; Computer Software; Models; Pretests Posttests; Interviews; Measurement Techniques; Evaluation Methods; Evaluation Research; Correlation; High School Students; Epistemology; Scientists; California + Suchen Sie Ihr Suchwort? Öffentliche Ordnung; Persuasion; Persuasive Kommunikation; Klima; Kritisches Denken; Lesson concept; Lessonplan; Unterrichtsentwurf; Unterrichtsmedien; Computer based training; Computerunterstützter Unterricht; Analogiemodell; Interviewing; Interviewtechnik; Messtechnik; Evaluationsforschung; Korrelation; High school; High schools; Student; Students; Oberschule; Schüler; Schülerin; Studentin; Erkenntnistheorie; Scientist; Wissenschaftler; Kalifornien
Abstract	The "Convince Me" computer environment supports critical thinking by allowing users to create and evaluate computer-based representations of arguments. This study investigates theoretical and design considerations pertinent to using "Convince Me" as an educational tool to support reasoning about public policy issues. Among computer environments designed to support argumentation, "Convince Me" is unique in that it computes a measure of an argument's coherence and presents this information to users as feedback. This measure is based on the "ECHO" computational model, a connectionist implementation of the Theory of Explanatory Coherence. The study seeks to better understand this coherent argumentation measure by comparing it to other measures including a measure of the stability of one's views and the number of statements in an argument. Ten 17-year-old students and one scientist used "Convince Me" to create arguments about policies designed to ameliorate global warming; they also participated in pre- and post-intervention surveys and interviews. Positive correlations were found among the coherent argumentation measure, measures of stability, and number of statements in an argument, and these findings raise considerations for designing educational activities with "Convince Me". A debriefing interview's results illustrate further considerations, including the role of the user's stance towards the software.(Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.) (As Provided).
Anmerkungen	Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education. P.O. Box 1545, Chesapeake, VA 23327-1545. Tel: 757-366-5606; Fax: 703-997-8760; e-mail: info@aace.org; Web site: http://www.aace.org
Erfasst von	ERIC (Education Resources Information Center), Washington, DC
Update	2017/4/10