Documentation:Developing Social Space/Critical Discourse

Critical Discourse

As discussed in the video by Dr. Jessica Motherwell, the goal of developing a richer online social space is not only to facilitate better interaction amongst the cohort, but also, and perhaps more importantly, to foster an environment of critical inquiry, synthesis of information and concepts, and self-reflection. It also aids students in the process of experimenting with key concepts covered in the course materials. When a strong social space has been developed, students are more likely to develop a community of inquiry, and, hopefully, produce a higher degree of self-reflection and more perceptive insights into the concepts in question. It also provides learners greater opportunities to model the desired learning outcomes in addition to drawing upon the skills and knowledge of classmates.

A healthy social space also helps to enable the learner to adopt a more critical approach to fellow classmates without risking the perception of being aggressive or overbearing. Misunderstanding can easily arise when the bulk of communication occurs in a typed medium, the result of which is that learners sometimes are more reticent in offering constructive criticism or critical comments.

Reflection

• Does your use of Social Media or Web 2.0 tools foster genuine critical discourse?
• Is the social space within your course conducive to fostering critical discourse?
• Do students require additional resources to be able to fully leverage their emerging community of inquiry?