Metadiscourse – A question about verbal or written metadiscourse?

By Rolf K. BaltzersenØstfold University College, Norway

What is metadiscourse?

- An element of knowledge building discourse includes occasional periods of reflection on the state and direction of the community’s discourse itself.

- “Meta-discourse” can be described as discussion about discussion, and calls for community members to take a “meta-perspective” on their own dialogue.

- Metadiscourse serves as a type of formative evaluation that can help a knowledge creating community both assess their achievement up to the current point and decide on a future plan of action (Resendes et al., 2013)

Metadiscourse can help students

(….) recognizing shared knowledge advances, identifying setbacks, plotting out next steps, setting goals and drawing links between them, connecting ideas, articulating new and promising questions, and establishing deeper ties between authoritative knowledge and newly identified problems (Zhang et al., 2009; Zhang & Messina 2010; Zhang et al., 2011).

(From Resendes et al., 2013)

Verbal discourse about written discourse (on the screen)

Notes in Knowledge Forum

Word Cloud (Resendes et al., 2013)

Idea Thread Mapper (Zhang et al., 2012)

What do you see on the

screen?

Verbal discourse about verbal discourse

1. Are we doing

Knowledge Building now?

2. Well, that depends. Is this

discussion helping us?

Written discourse about a verbal discourse

Preparing for «metacognitive meeting» (Zhang, Lee and Wilde, 2012)

Doing work in Knowledge Forum after metadiscourse session (Resendes et al., 2013)

Written discourse about a written discourse

A metadiscourse typology Meta-writing

 Meta-talk

Written discourse Written discourse about a written discourse.

Verbal discourse about a written discourse.

Verbal discourse Written discourse about a verbal discourse.

Verbal discourse about a verbal discourse.

A complex interplay

Sources• Zhang, J., Lee, J., & Wilde, J. (2012). Metadiscourse to foster collective responsibility for deepening inquiry. In J. van Aalst, K.

Thompson, M. J. Jacobson, & P. Reimann (Eds.), The Future of Learning: Proceedings of the 10th International Conference of the Learning Sciences (ICLS 2012) (Full papers) (pp. 395–402). Sydney, NSW, Australia: International Society of the Learning Sciences (ISLS). Retrieved from http://tccl.rit.albany.edu/wpsite/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Spacestudy_icls_final_refined.pdf

• Resendes, M., Chen, B., Acosta, A., & Scardamalia, M. (2013). The Effect of Formative Feedback on Vocabulary Use and Distribution of Vocabulary Knowledge in a Grade Two Knowledge Building Class. In N. Rummel, M. Kapur, M. Nathan, & S. Puntambekar (Eds.), To See the World and a Grain of Sand Learning across Levels of Space Time and Scale CSCL 2013 Conference Proceedings Volume1 Full Papers Symposia (pp. 391 – 398). International Society of the Learning Sciences.

Pictures

- Kids drawing together: http://www.flickr.com/photos/34728058@N08/4250445407/in/photolist-7tADkv-7tEB8G-ccxP9y-9pVTzv-c6ty5f-a5A1Uv-bAtCfn-9nHdWn-7xzzmS-9hoxxk-9GYQJR-93Aevy-by4GEc-aSTGUF-dxgWxj-9M5VEm-dMyDnK-aAVdva-9ayKw3-82HtdM-a9F8qr-dMEciW-dMyDnB-dMyDip-dMyDiZ-dMEchQ-dMyDjD-dMyDjp-dMyDov-dMyDq8-dMEckE-dMyDkK-dMEcib-dMEck1-dMEcmh-dMyDmF-dMEcm5-dMyDiR-dMEcnY-9wQaEM-9yuDzE-9xWhgM-9y31bJ-dMEcpA-aAqzRV-eo3VZr-8jNnpB-8jRzWJ-8jNmwn-8jNob8-8jNqyR- Student presenting for other students. Raising his hands.http://www.flickr.com/photos/32310384@N03/4587338975/in/photolist-7Znj4i-7Atavz-7At9y2-7AwV3j-7AwUPu-7AwTNE-7AwUyN-7AwU4S-dfUXnw-dfV3CQ-dfV36S-dfUYa7-dfV1n1-dfUZHE-dfUZ8u-dfV2om-dfUVRQ-dfUVgw-dfUUyp-dMdbj4-dMdb5c-dMiLe3-dMiJCA-dMiLj7-dMiJt5-dMiL51-9JYy6g-egaAtM-bx1ivc-9yhgn6-7At3jV-7At7U8-7AwRoG-7AwR8W-7At5XV-7At3zV-7At4DT-7AwNRL-7At6d2-7AwRTb-7At4Wg-7AwT4S-7AwQ7W-7AwQo1-7At7CZ-7AwRC5-7AwTjs-7AwP7E-7AwNBQ-7At5cM-7At89v- Picture of note in Knowledge Forum: http://ikit.org/kb_resources/?p=903#more-903- Word cloud: http://www.flickr.com/photos/35059235@N06/4963334783/in/photolist-8yAovD-7xY1nH-7RL4vZ-7RL4pp-7RPiYL-9W3GZK-9enUpX-b4DGcg-b4DGhR-b43BJR-9qAC9A-9hk3UW-7Sbpnt-7SbvQB-cXrXyA-99PvJT-dT7seD-7XaANz-8nyiPf-ckwtGf-7XaAHc-e3mGgT-amTSh2-9ddcCr-cqU6NW-8mDxuR-dgXTpd-bXjiGK-9s7T1n-8nvaAZ-8nyiZE-9169gB-eZtTAV-9fmm4d-8ZrU2E-ac8p8y-7SeZ2Y-aa3xcV-bhJJHZ-7TZAwe-bk1eA4-bBpKU4-8R18Pr-9iLp6N-e6d1G2-9ERVGz-8BsGH3-9JUDeM-bm1nQf-9aYvZZ-9bGp3R- Children sitting in front of laptop : http://www.flickr.com/photos/47823583@N03/8466485544/in/photolist-dU9XbG-fohmm1-ehBnRE-8GmvbX-8qf7ng-8qZDrT-bVR7nE-bX4UVK-8xVs2pChildren working together:http://www.flickr.com/photos/40170888@N07/5477502028/in/photolist-9m2Cw9-aBcCCT-9vPk2D-bNwYWH-8Kgr1s-awLWmB-dfNbs3-9C3kjS-dqa2c1-7XoQV7-deCUww-bpt7gB-bptgNZ-bpqZAH-bpt4st-bpqRF8-bpqU2H-bpqXak-bpr2tD-bptaTa-bptkev-9r7ZEi-bn3j48-bbpU8c-7X8SLn-9zRbXc-9gK1ft-9jnRUW-btZMsd-btZN9o-bGUALt-bGUAgM-btZMDY-bGUB3v-aKMaxR-8Vsvc3-7Brt7n-boTARr-8Ly5K3-8gBVqD-9u1Bfq-9BW2Ga-8tPPTp-8tWZ3P-cmfuWy-bdF6hF-8tWvEc-7NY1u5-7NU1mK-7NU2jB-8fFYKb

PicturesChildren sitting on floor: http://www.flickr.com/photos/28232089@N04/6728125239/in/photolist-bfxpei-aYVwBX-aYVwYR-aYVwQp-aYVwMZ-aYVwFi-aYVx36-aYVwWg-aYVwtT-aYVwwc-aYVx86-aYVxcT-aYVwKz-aYVxa8-aYVwT4-aYVx5F-e6cPB4-7TqRdr-8q6Dqj-atoL6E-atoKDW-atm77T-atoKpj-atm6Lx-cB61M9-atoKJW-cCMKLu-atoKHo-eoW788-bm1WoB-az1Gta-agE4ZE-agA6t8-atm7g6-8cPuyr-dSinty-7TqRdP-d8J9Um-8B6Ym3-7N3Ehq-epSkeS-7L5QUD-e8DnjF-7HQ89R-av1T41-auYcdi-av1SBE-av1SGC-auYcjB-auYcpg-auYcGcChildren in front of computer:http://www.flickr.com/photos/26204872@N08/3887312861/in/photolist-6VvuFx-8oUPTS-9DFvj7-aStwvT-98DAGE-duvjjF-99XZry-7LRPcs-96DN2L-99CQgX-99EyQN-8Jzfg7-8LcZyG-bzKTg9-fnQZb7-8BdEgr-9S9UTG-dREwvJ-b2Y1vX-83Fnrf-dkYFci-9AqLrn-8L9Vbr-8VxjJm