Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Dialogical Competence - a key to participation and knowledge creation in learning communitiesHelena Aarnio

HAMK University of Applied Sciences / Professional Teacher Education Unit

helena.aarnio@hamk.fi

Agenda of the work shop

• A short theoretical introduction to the dialogical participation and knowledge creation

• Presentation of the framework of the dialogical competence and the method cards

• Practising of some method cards in dialogical knowledge creation

Research and Development work The framework of the dialogical competence and the dialogical

method cards are based on extensive research and development work:• Licentiate Thesis 1990 – 1994 (Developing the Method of Cognitive

Empathy for Teacher Education)

• Doctoral Thesis 1996 – 1999 (In Search of Dialogue: Developing Dialogue for Communication and Information Technological Environment)

• National Research-project 2000 - 2002 (Online Pedagogy and Network-based Learning): DIANA-model (Dialogic and

Authentic NetLearning Activity) created as a result of the project

Research and Development work• DIANA research project 2002-2004 in HAMK • Deep learning through Dialogue -project 2006 –

2008: a web service produced in the HAMK University of Applied Sciences, titled Deep Learning through Dialogue (www.hamk.fi/dialogi).

• International DIALE (Dialogical learning)-project 2010 – 2012, coordinated by PTU : The dialogical method cards and programme of training the dialogical competence (www.hamk.fi/diale)

• What does it mean, when we talk about dialogical competence, dialogical actions and dialogical method cards in participation and knowledge creation?

All conversation is not dialogue

• Dialogical participation can be understood by everyday terms or by using scientific definitions.

• All conversation is not dialogue (Bohm, 1996; Isaacs, 1999).

Dialogue - Discussion

• Discussion; like the ping-pong game, where the turns change – people defend their contributions, seeking to overcome the others.

• On the contrary, in dialogue it is possible to improve collective inquiry processes – meaning is constructed through sharing, and therefore it is a community-building form of conversation. (Bohm, 1996)

Dialogic interaction

• ”Truth is not born nor is it to be found inside the head of an individual person, it is born between people collectively searching for truth, in the process of their dialogic interaction (Bakhtin, 1984, p. 110).”

• This kind of dialogue is in no way a given. (Bohm, 1996; Isaacs, 1999)

Dialogue meets scientific preconditions

• There are several conditions that have to be met before communication becomes dialogue.

• Dialogue that meets the scientific preconditions can be referred to as “deep dialogue”.

One definition

• Dialogue is based on equal co-construction of understanding. It is shared thinking and getting well acquainted with certain subject and activity. (Aarnio & Enqvist, 2001)

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Framework of dialogical competence and methods

Helena Aarnio

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/dialewww.hamk.fi/diale

Framework Dialogical competence

Self-monitoring

Making dialogue non-

fuzzy

Creating a dialogical moment

Creating new understanding

Dialogic attitude

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Methods• Symmetrically• As equals• Monitoring my body language•Without hidden motives• Reciprocally

Dialogical attitude

• Symmetrical participation• Active participation and

engouragement to it• Letting go of egocentricity

• Respect for self and others• Reciprocal activity, trust• Open, sincere expression• Engagement to dialogue

I part of the dialogical competence

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Making dialogue non-fuzzy

Methods• Dialogue tickets•I am present here and now• I listen word-for-word • Im prisoned by preconceptions •Suspend and wonder• Stay a little while

Dialogical attitude

• Taking and giving turn• Being present and concentrating• Word-for-word reception and coding, listening• Awareness of one’s preconceptions and assumptions• Regulating the expression and withholding one’s preconceptions and assumptions• Staying on the other’s speech

II part of the dialogical competence

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Creating a dialogic moment

Methods• Let ideas bud and flourish• Reformulate and tidy up• Practise the art of inquiry – experience the power of questions• Make chains• Catch hot words• Delve deeper

•sanoja• Syväsukella pinnanalaiseen

Dialogical attitude

• Opening one’s incomplete thinking• Compact expression•Forming unbiased open questions, opening the other’s thinking•Word-for-word continuation from previous utterance• Responding to an inquiry• Recognizing key utterances• Opening key utterances

III part of the dialogical competence

Helena Aarnio ©www.hamk.fi/diale

Creating new understanding

Methods• Let’s weave a syntheses• Weave a syntheses pearl• Discover the missing pieces• Inquire in a ”pathbreaking” way

Dialogical attitude

• Weaving a syntheses•Revealing gaps in thinking and activities• Opening new paths for dialogue

IV part of the dialogical competence

Examples of Dialogical Method Cards

• Spontaneous participation (establishing trust, dialogical ”icebreaking”)

• Cultural scripts (becoming aware of one’s behaviour and actions, dialogical ”icebreaking”)

• As Equals ( Dialogical attitude, competence area I)

Examples of Dialogical Method Cards

• Dialogue tickets (Making dialogue non-fuzzy, competence area II)

• Practise the art of inquiry – experience the power of questions (Creating dialogical moment, competence area III)