The role of facilitation and social processes in collaborative learning: Implications for the design of an applied systems science curriculum

Resolving complex scientific and social problems requires effective collaboration. In the absence of adequate facilitation and the use of a structured methodology, however, collaborative groups often fail to reach their potential. Recognising this, John Warfield developed Interactive Management (IM), a computer-supported systems science methodology designed to harness the collective intelligence of groups, specifically, in the design of collaborative systems models. Warfield also proposed the incorporation of this methodology into a systems science education curriculum to foster skill in the application of collaborative, systems science methodologies. This thesis advanced upon Warfield’s vision by investigating key aspects of the integration of IM into university education. Over the course of three experimental studies, the IM facilitation process and collaborative learning process was modified in specific ways and effects on both learning and social-emotional outcomes and processes were examined. The findings of these studies were then used to inform the design and implementation of an applied systems science education curriculum, which was piloted with a group of 23 undergraduate students over the course of a semester. Study 1 investigated the influence of dialogue on students’ levels of perceived efficacy of the IM methodology, as well as levels of perceived consensus and objective consensus in relation to the topic which was the focus of the IM session. Study 1 revealed that restricting dialogue had a significant negative impact on students’ perceptions of the IM process. More specifically, students who were not permitted to engage in dialogue reported significantly lower levels of perceived efficacy of the IM methodology, as well as significantly lower levels of perceived consensus with other students in their group. Study 2 examined the effects of task-level versus process-level prompts on variety and complexity of argumentation during an IM systems model-building task, as well as students’ levels of ...