Agreeing to Disagree: Challenges with Ambiguity in Visual Evidence

Matuk, C. F. & King Chen, J. (2011). The WISE Idea Manager: A Tool to Scaffold the Collaborative Construction of Evidence-Based Explanations from Dynamic Scientific Visualizations. In J. Shen & H.-Y. Chang (Eds.), Symposium 3, Learning Interactions - Collaboration as Scaffolding: Learning Together with Dynamic, Interactive Scientific Visualizations and Computer Models, Proceedings of the 9th International Conference on Computer Supported Collaborative Learning CSCL2011: Connecting computer supported collaborative learning to policy and practice, July 4-8, 2011 (994-995). The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.

ABSTRACT:

Students in CSCL environments can exhibit sophisticated argumentation skills. However, the challenges of using visual evidence are rarely addressed by current technological scaffolds. In light of the issues demonstrated in a dispute between two students over the meaning of a graph, we recommend that CSCL systems not only capture the outcomes of argumentation, but also the processes, whether of agreement or dissent. These would provide valuable learning objects, as well as insights into students’ learning.