While conversation may indeed be king, meaningful conversation requires that we check to see whether the king is wearing any clothes.
In my research on using social or participatory media applications to support substantive educator knowledge development, it is clear conversation or professional talk is a powerful element or factor that can lead to deeper knowledge and understanding of one's practice (Hargreaves, A., 1994).
In my initial examination of participant posts and comments within an online professional learning community designed to support knowledge building among geographically separated participants, I have noticed that conversations fall into two general categories with some occasional subtle overlappings. In general conversations in the online learning community fall into two types: thin and thick.
Thin conversations are those that provide little in terms of reflection, feedback, expansion and or examination of the initial ideas presented. Thin conversations suggest the emperor is threadbare and thus offers no redeeming substance or value (i.e., the conversation is powerless).
Thick conversations offer not only the thoughts and ideas of the participant but they build and expand upon thoughts shared from the initial post. Thick conversations also provide a sense of deeper reflection and emotional cues that offer insight into the participant's sense of self. Thick conversations are not necessarily verbose; they can be short, triggering statements that lend themselves to deeper reflection and deeper contemplation. Thick conversations are the robes and raiment that make conversation king.
In my initial analysis, where these two categories overlap is where conversation may be thin, but attached resources and artifacts associated with the thin conversation are thick and rich. There are multiple examples within my study that show participants offering little in terms of content-rich, back-and-forth dialogue and conversation, yet attach multiple rich resources or artifacts to their post that serve all participants in the community exceedingly well. The conversation is thin, but the knowledge and value associated with the post appears to outweigh the apparent veneer.
Perhaps, this requires a clearer definition of what conversation in a social media supported environment affords participants. Clearly, meaningful dialogue and written exchange can be valuable to knowledge development. Yet conversation can also trigger references to artifacts outside the immediate conversation that can also provide additional meaning and value. Given that the platform being used to serve and support conversation in this instance also allows the exchange of physical artifacts, conversations can be thin in initial substance and thick with associated attached resources.
Hmmmm....
Your thoughts and feedback are clearly warranted!
Reference:
Hargreaves, A. (1994). Changing teachers, changing times: Teachers' work and culture in the post-modern age. New York: Teachers College Press.
Comments
I am relatively new to blogging. I began by lurking, then commenting, then (following encouragement from other bloggers) writing--probably a pretty typical path. I am learning that knowledge building through blogging is more than sharing content or artifacts. For me it is also about relationship.
Those thin conversations with "no redeeming substance or value" are often significant to me because they can reveal personality: the respect and goodwill a blogger has for participants--or not. Sort of like a smile or a nod during a conversation. I am not talking about agreement with every point, but acknowledgement.
I have read and responded to blogs where I have felt people were looking me in the eye, leaning forward to hear what I have to say. I have also contributed where I can almost feel the blogger looking over my head to see if someone important will have something better to say. What is that about? Is it like having a class size that is far too large, and the teacher is stretched--or is playing favourites--or is it a grade 12 student looking down their nose at a grade 8?
If we see all the people in a conversation as invited learners then we have to trust that the thick conversations will come, like a-ha! moments. If it's all thick, then perhaps it's like swimming through molasses: too much work, and not very satisfying.
I am not so sensitive that I fall apart if I put up a comment or blog post and no one responds. I wonder though if the exponential increase in blogs will allow for real conversations to grow. Or if it will be like sitting in my kitchen talking back to the radio: noise on both ends but no connection.