Investigating social interaction in online places;

an approach informed by Neuroscience

Kathy RobinsonDiana Laurillard

Online Learning: A Time Line

Learners can communicate with each

other, and with their teachers, remotely and

asynchronously

Learners can communicate with each

other, and with their teachers, remotely and

asynchronouslyThe implications for

Education

Learners

Teachers

Flexibility (time, place)ReflectionSelf-paceNew skills

Boundaries

New skills

InstitutionsInfrastructure

Training

Social interaction online

distance education , blended learning, flipped classroom, informal learning

New role ( facilitator/instructor)

New uncertainties ( others, place)

Social learning

The pedagogies

Social interaction

Discussion (The exchange of ideas between peers)

No speaking

Not co-present(Body, Time, or Place)

Collaboration(Group work: Discussion & joint production)

in text based forums

in text based forums

in text based forums

in text based forums

The teacher as facilitator.

Facilitates the development and maintenance of the socio-emotional climate of the group so that it is conducive to learning

AimTo develop a resource for online tutors on the topic of facilitating group work online.

Requirements

build on the frameworks already available

topic neutral

authentic

resolution - represent ‘in the moment’ changes in emotional climate

AmbitionTo provide and evaluate a line of evidence that

flows from phenomenological experience through

to neural patterning

Non verbal cues are the natural carriers of relational information and so their absence will impact negatively on socio-emotional experience.

non-verbal cues

missing

anonymity identity cues

missing

NO35%

NO40%

NO68%

Social interaction in text based forums Not co-present in Body, Time, or Place.

reduced sense of social presence

limiting interpersonal

interaction&

trust

Negative

supportivehyperpersonal

Positive

flaming‘communication can be more aggressive’

Negative

within group salience

Positive

YES33%

YES31%

YES28%

Social interaction in text based forums Not co-

present(Body, Time, or Place)Implications for sense of social presence

No speaking

‘degree of salience of the other person in the interactions and the consequent salience

of the interpersonal relationships’ (Short et al., 1976, p 65)

Social presence

Intimacydepends on

the communication medium

Immediacy( social psychological distance )

depends on the form an quality of the communication.

In text based forums it depends on the interactants adapting to the new relational space and mode of

communication.Verbal immediacy/ Mediated

immediacy

NETSPEAK adapting text to be more speech like : Computer mediated communication is not necessarily a writing medium

informality, slang, jargon, colloquialismusing typographical markers to represent paralanguageusing spellings that reflect pronunciationrepeating verbs

‘contributions progressively develop a shared linguistic character – the equivalent of a local dialect or accent ’ (Crystal, 2006, p 152).

Social interaction in text based forums

Cultural change and Cultural accomplishment

Verbal Immediacy

describing physical actiondescribing physical placedescribing mood and state (self disclosure)using figurative languageusing vocativesusing inclusive pronounsappropriating text modes of the CMC software, (e.g case, colour, emoticons)appropriating functions of the CMC software; titling, repeat with quotedemonstrating awareness of the emotional state of others ( complimenting, managing negative comments sensitively, expressing empathy )demonstrating awareness of the relational needs of the group

Not co-present(Body, Time, or Place)

No speaking ?

How research is Informed by Neuroscience

Portfolio Review Wellcome Trust

‘fMRI between 1990 and 2008’,

The Wellcome Trust committed £114 million to

human functional brain imaging research during this

period

Research using Human Functional Brain Imaging 1990–2009

% change in publication

Computer Science, artificial intelligence 3119.05

Psychology, experimental 2095.45

Computer science, theory and methods 772.84

Medicine , general and internal 112.5

Pharmacology and Pharmacy 49.87

Engineering, biomedical 9.45

New knowledge:

‘In comparison with 20 years ago, we know considerably more about how the living brain functions.’

‘Much of this is due to the development of imaging techniques such as fMRI that in turn has depended on developments in digital technologies and digital analysis of large, and complex, data sets’.

NETSPEAK adapting text to be more speech like : Computer mediated communication is not necessarily a writing medium

informality, slang, jargon, colloquialismusing typographical markers to represent paralanguageusing spellings that reflect pronunciationrepeating verbs

‘contributions progressively develop a shared linguistic character – the equivalent of a local dialect or accent ’ (Crystal, 2006, p 152).

Social interaction in text based forums

Cultural change and Cultural accomplishment

Verbal Immediacy

describing physical actiondescribing physical placedescribing mood and state (self disclosure)using figurative languageusing vocativesusing inclusive pronounsappropriating text modes of the CMC software, (e.g case, colour, emoticons)appropriating functions of the CMC software; titling, repeat with quotedemonstrating awareness of the emotional state of others ( complimenting, managing negative comments sensitively, expressing empathy )demonstrating awareness of the relational needs of the group

Not co-present(Body, Time, or Place)

No speaking ?

Right hemisphere dominance for emotional processing.

Hemisphere lateralisation for the valence of emotion.

Distinct anatomical areas identified for recognition, expression & experience of emotion.

Anatomical areas for empathy identified and their interconnections mapped.

How emotions influence cognition e.g. decision making and the brain areas involved.

Auditing Neuroscience with a focus on studying social emotions neurally

Constructing a narrative based on Group work

(collaborative learning)Task space

Relational space

Stimulus material for studying social emotions

Neural correlates of admiration and compassion successfully studied

neurally (FMRI) using a ‘true’ narrative

Microanalysis of the forum interactions

Verbal ImmediacyNetspeakEmpathy

The investigationThe Sample

4 clusters identified from an analysis of student survey data

Interaction POSMedium POS

Interaction POSMedium NEUT

Interaction NEGMedium NEG

Interaction NEGMedium POS

Fingers crossed all will be ok - then we will really be able to crack on with it all!

Best wishes - I will be on again at lunchtime to have a look to see what is happening (taking advantage of a wee quiet spell with a coffee!)F Hi everyoneJust trying to catch up, sorry having to work at the moment so with the kids as well I'm bit swamped. Been keeping up with all your messages thanks to V for all her hard work and to G for proof reading. Fingers crossed!Tried to get some thoughts down last night regarding---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Will log on again as soon as I canV Hi guys Further to K’s comments, in light of shortage of time, will try to do something on for example -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Can anyone suggest how we go about -------------------------Hope everyone OK with this idea.

F Hi M Here it is as you requested. Hopefully be back on again later tonight but stuck at work again - why oh why oh why do they allow so many people to be off at one time?

V Sorry M- one more thing while I remember -not sure if we had planned to

Neural patterningfMRI or EEG ?

Requirementsneural patterning

‘in the moment’ representation of emotional climate

‘ecological validity’

reflect the distributed pattern of emotional processes

EEG

EEG

EEG

EEG

EEG studies

Four main frequency bands.

Delta, theta, alpha, and beta. Each frequency band is characterised by the electrode position/s where it is maximally

recorded, the conditions under which it is maximally recorded, amplitude, developmental properties.

Specific waveforms.

Usually transient, for example, sleep spindles, spike and wave, mu and gamma.

Artifact:

Electrical interference, muscle activity and eye movement.

Emotion studies with EEGFrontal power asymmetry

The problemsmeasures suppression of a frequency pattern at locations where the pattern is least likely to be found .

Ratio of emotional trait /emotional state studies

! There is no interpersonal sensory information - interactants are not co-present

The Method. Spectral analysis. The signal collected in the time-domain is converted to a frequency domain.

. Focus on the alpha spectrum accounts for a large percentage of the healthy adult EEG inversely related to cortical activity as reflected in fMRI & PET studies

. asymmetry index calculated (log right alpha power minus log left alpha power) A higher scores indicate greater relative left-hemisphere activity.Most studies sample only frontal and parietal electrodes

The seductive allure of neuroscience explanations.

‘ neuroscience information had a particularly striking effect on nonexperts' judgments of bad explanations, masking otherwise salient problems in these explanations’

Weisberg, D. S., Keil, F. C., Goodstein, J., Rawson, E., and Gray, J. R. (2007). J. Cogn. Neurosci. 20,

Seeing is believing: the effect of brain images on judgments of scientific reasoning.

‘ part of the fascination, and the credibility, of brain imaging research lies in the persuasive power of the actual brain images themselves’

McCabe, D. P., and Castel, D. (2008), Cognition, 107,1

How research is Influenced by Neuroscience

‘Brain function is not just isolated in single regions but involves coordinated activity integrated across many regions’.

Constructing a narrative based on Group work

(collaborative learning)Task space

Relational space

Stimulus material for studying social emotions

Neural correlates of admiration and compassion successfully studied

neurally (FMRI) using a ‘true’ narrative

Microanalysis of the forum interactions

Verbal ImmediacyNetspeakEmpathy

The investigationThe Sample

4 clusters identified from an analysis of student survey data

Interaction POSMedium POS

Interaction POSMedium NEUT

Interaction NEGMedium NEG

Interaction NEGMedium POS

Fingers crossed all will be ok - then we will really be able to crack on with it all!

Best wishes - I will be on again at lunchtime to have a look to see what is happening (taking advantage of a wee quiet spell with a coffee!)F Hi everyoneJust trying to catch up, sorry having to work at the moment so with the kids as well I'm bit swamped. Been keeping up with all your messages thanks to V for all her hard work and to G for proof reading. Fingers crossed!Tried to get some thoughts down last night regarding---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Will log on again as soon as I canV Hi guys Further to K’s comments, in light of shortage of time, will try to do something on for example -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Can anyone suggest how we go about -------------------------Hope everyone OK with this idea.

F Hi M Here it is as you requested. Hopefully be back on again later tonight but stuck at work again - why oh why oh why do they allow so many people to be off at one time?

V Sorry M- one more thing while I remember -not sure if we had planned to

The designParticipants will each read

two narratives (one positive, one negative )

while

brain activity is monitored with an

Electroencephaologram (EEG)

and their facial expression is monitored

using surface Electromyography

(EMG)

The intention is to investigate whether

emotional experience while engaging with the narrative is parsed neurally

The EEG is different in the two conditions, ‘negative’ and ‘positive’ narrative

The intention isto monitor the spontaneous

expression of emotion as distinct from the voluntary

expression of emotion

The investigation (cont)

Effects of screen culture

The influence of the world wide web, online social networking and computer games, is having an impact on the workings of the human brain.

Shorter attention spanStrongly sensoryLack metaphor/ abstract conceptsProcess v Content/MeaningReduced empathy

Greenfield, S. (2009)The Virtual Revolution: How 20 years of the web has reshaped our lives.BBC2

Greenfield, S. (2010)Speech to the All-Party Parliamentary group on Scientific Research in Learning and Education

Learners Digital Natives

Teachers Digital

Immigrants

It is very likely that our students’ brains have physically changed – and are different from ours – as a result of how they grew up. ....... we can say with certainty that their thinking patterns have changed.

‘What ISN’T Technology Good At? Empathy, for one thing!

Prensky, M. (2001) Digital Natives, Digital ImmigrantsFrom On the Horizon (NCB University Press, Vol. 9 No. 5,cited by 5433 Prensky M. (2012)Educational Technology

Technology & NeuroscienceOpinion & Speculation about technology & the brain

The Conference Themes

Mind

Brain

Community

Inspiring learners

Strengthening resilience

] The study links the socio-emotional with cognition

and with the biological

The findings from small groups are relevant.Increasingly communities and groups interact online.

Online interaction means that learners can experience & engage with knowledge beyond the school walls.Online interaction equips learners with skills for the future

A better understanding of the socio-emotional experience of online interaction and its effects on processes and structure of the brain should enable Educationalists to develop more effective ways of motivating and empowering learners.

Source: OECD Centre for Educational Research and Innovation -CERI

1The brain is only plastic for certain kinds of information during

specific “critical periods” with the first three years of a child being decisive for later development and success in life

2 Enriched environments’ enhance the brain’s capacity for learning

3 There is a visual, auditive and a haptic type of learning

4 We only use 10% of our brains

5 Myths about bilingualism

6 The left brain/right brain myth

NEUROMYTH “a misconception generated by a misunderstanding, a misreading, or a

misquoting of facts scientifically established (by brain research) to make a case for use of brain research in education and other contexts”

DISCOVER The Magazine of Science, Technology, and the Future July-Aug 2012

Source: Paul Howard-Jones Brain science in the Classroom. Seminar given to All-Part Group of Scientific Research in Learning and

Education

Daily Water Intake

‘a recent survey that I undertook with trainee teachers, we find that some 35 per cent. of them believed that their brain would shrink if they drank less than six to eight cups of water ‘

Brain Gym

An extract from a Brain Gym book says: “laterality coordinates the left and right sides of the brain to communicate effectively.................................... I do not understand that,and I do not think that many scientists would. It is complete bananas’.

‘However, a bona fide scientific journal has reported that short sessions of Brain Gym exercise have been shown to increase response times, so perhaps there is a seed of truth in the idea that exercise can bring about additional alertness’.

NEUROMYTH cont.