Investigating social interaction in online places; an approach informed by Neuroscience

1. Investigating social interaction in online places;an approach informed by Neuroscience • Kathy Robinson • Diana Laurillard

2. Online Learning: A Time Line

3. Social interaction online Learners can communicate with each other, and with their teachers, remotely and asynchronously The implications for Education distance education , blended learning, flipped classroom, informal learning Learners Flexibility (time, place) Reflection Self-pace New skills New uncertainties ( others, place) Teachers Boundaries New skills New role ( facilitator/instructor) Institutions Infrastructure Training

4. Social learning in text based forums The pedagogies The teacher as facilitator. Facilitates the development and maintenance of the socio-emotional climate of the group so that it is conducive to learning Discussion (The exchange of ideas between peers) Collaboration (Group work: Discussion & joint production) Social interaction in text based forums No speaking Not co-present (Body, Time, or Place)

5. Aim To 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 Ambition To provide and evaluate a line of evidence that flows from phenomenological experience through to neural patterning

6. Social interaction in text based forums Not co-present in Body, Time, or Place. Negative Positive reduced sense of social presence limiting interpersonal interaction & trust 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 supportive hyperpersonal YES 33% NO 35% identity cues missing Negative Positive anonymity YES 31% NO 40% within group salience flaming ‘communication can be more aggressive’ YES 28% NO 68%

7. Social interaction in text based forums Not co-present (Body, Time, or Place) No speaking Implications for sense of social presence Social presence ‘degree of salience of the other person in the interactions and the consequent salience of the interpersonal relationships’(Short et al., 1976, p 65) 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 Intimacy depends on the communication medium

8. Social interaction in text based forums Cultural change and Cultural accomplishment Not co-present (Body, Time, or Place) Verbal Immediacy describing physical action describing physical place describing mood and state (self disclosure) using figurative language using vocatives using inclusive pronouns appropriating text modes of the CMC software, (e.g case, colour, emoticons) appropriating functions of the CMC software; titling, repeat with quote demonstrating awareness of the emotional state of others ( complimenting, managing negative comments sensitively, expressing empathy ) demonstrating awareness of the relational needs of the group No speaking ? NETSPEAK adapting text to be more speech like : Computer mediated communication is not necessarily a writing medium informality, slang, jargon, colloquialism using typographical markers to represent paralanguage using spellings that reflect pronunciation repeating verbs ‘contributions progressively develop a shared linguistic character – the equivalent of a local dialect or accent’ (Crystal, 2006, p 152).

9. How research is Informed by Neuroscience 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’.

10. Social interaction in text based forums Cultural change and Cultural accomplishment Not co-present (Body, Time, or Place) Verbal Immediacy describing physical action describing physical place describing mood and state (self disclosure) using figurative language using vocatives using inclusive pronouns appropriating text modes of the CMC software, (e.g case, colour, emoticons) appropriating functions of the CMC software; titling, repeat with quote demonstrating awareness of the emotional state of others ( complimenting, managing negative comments sensitively, expressing empathy ) demonstrating awareness of the relational needs of the group No speaking ? NETSPEAK adapting text to be more speech like : Computer mediated communication is not necessarily a writing medium informality, slang, jargon, colloquialism using typographical markers to represent paralanguage using spellings that reflect pronunciation repeating verbs ‘contributions progressively develop a shared linguistic character – the equivalent of a local dialect or accent’ (Crystal, 2006, p 152).

11. Auditing Neuroscience with a focus on studying social emotions neurally 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.

12. The investigation 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 Constructing a narrative based on Group work (collaborative learning) Task space Relational space The Sample 4 clusters identified from an analysis of student survey data Stimulus material for studying social emotions Neural correlates of admiration and compassion successfully studied neurally (FMRI) using a ‘true’ narrative Interaction POS Medium NEUT Interaction POS Medium POS Interaction NEG Medium POS Interaction NEG Medium NEG Microanalysis of the forum interactions Verbal Immediacy Netspeak Empathy

13. Neural patterning fMRI or EEG ? Requirements neural patterning ‘in the moment’ representation of emotional climate ‘ecological validity’ reflect the distributed pattern of emotional processes EEG EEG EEG EEG

14. 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.

15. Emotion studies with EEG Frontal power asymmetry 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 problems measures 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

16. How research is Influenced by Neuroscience 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 ‘Brain function is not just isolated in single regions but involves coordinated activity integrated across many regions’.

17. The investigation 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 Sample Constructing a narrative based on Group work (collaborative learning) Task space Relational space 4 clusters identified from an analysis of student survey data Stimulus material for studying social emotions Neural correlates of admiration and compassion successfully studied neurally (FMRI) using a ‘true’ narrative Interaction POS Medium NEUT Interaction POS Medium POS Interaction NEG Medium POS Interaction NEG Medium NEG Microanalysis of the forum interactions Verbal Immediacy Netspeak Empathy

18. The investigation (cont) The design Participants will each read two narratives (one positive, one negative ) while 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 brain activity is monitored with an Electroencephaologram (EEG) The intention is to monitor the spontaneous expression of emotion as distinct from the voluntary expression of emotion and their facial expression is monitored using surface Electromyography (EMG)

19. Technology & Neuroscience Opinion & Speculation about technology & the brain

20. The Conference Themes Mind ] The study links the socio-emotional with cognition and with the biological Brain Community The findings from small groups are relevant. Increasingly communities and groups interact online. Inspiring learners 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. Strengthening resilience

21. 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”

22. NEUROMYTH cont.