The SWISH model

Notes from Pierre’s explanation of his SWISH (Split Where Interaction Should Happen) model

A CSCL script is a sequence of phases and a preventive structure for collaboration
Each phase is defined by
- a deadline
- a deliverable->system input
- a set of roles (unspecified, complementary (JIGSAW) hierarchical; fixed or rotating)
- multiple social planes (solo, group, collectiv), different communication modes at different planes, Data flow between planes

CSCL scripts have many different properties
- granularity (low(utterance level) – high (project phase))
- degree of coercion (low (induced) – high (forced))
- locus of control (internal (to be learned) – simply player (external))
- degree of generality (content-specific, *-specific, *-independent)

So what is common between scripts?

Distributed Cognitive System
- students form a distributed cognitive system to fullfil a task
- this system is split to create
-> Reciprocal-* scripts
Regulationinteraction (MetaTask)
-> Conflict-* scripts
Argumentation (role 1 role 2)

The SWISH model
Learning results from the interactions necessary for over-compensating the drawbacks of task distribution??
Hence, the script must split the system where interaction should occur.

Script Family -> Task Split -> Interactions
Reciprocal-* -> Meta / Task -> Mutual regulation
Conflict-* -> Pro / Against -> Argumentation
JIGSAW-* -> SubSets -> Explanation
Challenge-* -> Problem / Solution -> ?

How to split the system?
- Natural differences from groups based on conflict or complementarity
- Induced differences by creating differences among team members based on pre-collaboration activities, assigned roles, differentiated access to information
- Different actions (induced by continuous instructions, induced by the interface

Generic Script Operators Up/Down
- Behavioural data (votes, opinions, solutions)
-> Aggregate, differentiate, list
- Problem data (roles, interaction trace)
-> Broadcast, Assign, Form groups

7 axioms of the SWISH Model
1. the script runs over multiple social planes
2. at the reference level, the task defines the distributed system
3. Interactions occur to over-compensate task distribution
4. system plasticity is reinforced by rotating the script
5. time makes the script structure salient
6. the core system is envelopped with didactic activities
7. the integration means dataflow between activities