The CEN e-mediating presence

Collaborative knowledge-building (CKB) in online social networking sites is an area of concern among educators and researchers alike. The focus however, seems to be on how social networking sites mediate the process of CKB in informal settings, while neglecting the role of design in making such knowledge-building and collaboration a sustainable activity. The relative lack of attention to design, points to the need for methods to guide the development of CKB environments. Thus on June 17th 2011 I presented my work to some of my colleagues which drew on my experience on an action research study which aimed to establish possible benefits from a framework-driven approach, given that the development of informal online social networking environments are not traditionally driven by any particular theoretical or design frameworks. Using the research findings, guided by activity theory (Leont’ev 1978; Engestrom 1987), group cognition (Stahl 2005; Stahl 2006), community of inquiry (Garrison et al 2001), I advanced a conceptualisation of the CEN e-mediating framework. This framework is presented as a mediating artefact in sustaining CKB in groups within the Caribbean Educators Network. The framework is a focus on processes (what is done) and presences (the environment or condition) and is expressed along 4 themes: community presence, cognitive presence, moderating presence and ‘artefactization’ presence. I share the following slides which formed part of this presentation.