Talk at HICSS 2007 track on persistent conversation. This talk uses rhetorical analysis to describe student interactions on an e-learning site.

1. Conversational Analysis Concert e-Learning System HICSS Workshop on Persistent Conversation Kona, Hawaii January 3, 2007 John C. Thomas IBM T. J. Watson Research Center

6. P: Problem Solving T: Technology Discussion C: Clarification Dialogue S: Sociality: apology, thanks, greetings, goodbye, praise, emotion,etc. O: Okay, nods, short agreement with previous speaker D: Direction: problem selection and formulation M: Meeting logistics: who is here; when do we meet, etc.

7. 23.0 % 8.02 % Second “Half” Social Comments First “Half” Social Comments

8. P: Problem Solving T: Technology Discussion C: Clarification Dialogue S: Sociality: apology, thanks, greetings, goodbye, praise, emotion,etc. D: Direction: problem selection and formulation M: Meeting logistics: who is here; when do we meet, etc. 131 14 9 9 31 40 S 17 97 22 7 28 9 P 9 22 102 7 18 10 C 10 7 3 130 17 7 T 28 27 23 18 191 23 D 40 9 7 6 28 131 M S P C T D M

9. Longest “string” of one type of comment with no more than one continuous string of interruptions 10 P (problem solving) 14 M (meeting logistics) 15 S (social) 15 C (clarification) 21 T (technology) 24 D (direction) Longest String CODE

10. R Reference to message No. 742 (Text: "so clarice, can you wrap this up and finish it?") 09.34.29 07.06.2006 you did good job at putting your findings on the whiteboard, which makes it easier to summarize your work nan 747 P 09.34.25 07.06.2006 it is 9+(N-2)*3 Wang 746 D 09.34.04 07.06.2006 plz rmb to type this formula carefully Wang 745

11. D 09.07.19 26.05.2006 oh.....you know ...the others have come up with complicated formulas.i think we're doing the thing directly.i'm not sure if we're supposed to solve the question just like that? Amanda2 271

12. D 08.45.31 08.06.2006 so why dun we stick with hexagon Wang 938 C 08.45.30 08.06.2006 so that means we cannot use octagons? Clarice2 937 D 08.45.23 08.06.2006 i think octogon is not suitabe for this prob Wang 936 O 08.45.20 08.06.2006 yes Clarice2 935 O 08.45.14 08.06.2006 yea Amanda2 934 R 08.45.11 08.06.2006 sorry Wang 933 P 08.45.05 08.06.2006 yep cause they cant join on all sides properly dchia 932 P 08.44.50 08.06.2006 something is wrong Clarice2 931 C 08.44.49 08.06.2006 wait Clarice2 930 C 08.44.38 08.06.2006 are the octogons successfully drawn Wang 929 C 08.44.23 08.06.2006 so how is it with the drawing Wang 928

14. D 08.48.25 08.06.2006 i have racked my brain yesterdAY TO only come up with that formula Wang 952

16. C 09.11.50 08.06.2006 ya dchia 1049 C 09.11.43 08.06.2006 the difference between the number of sticks is 9 right? Clarice2 1048 C 09.11.30 08.06.2006 look under pattern 1 and 2 Clarice2 1047 C 09.11.23 08.06.2006 see ar Clarice2 1046 C 09.11.03 08.06.2006 eh guys? sorry bt i really dont know what u mean by the multiples of 3 method.. dchia 1045 D 09.10.44 08.06.2006 why don't we try substitutinf life situations in the patterns instead of shapes Clarice2 1044

18. O 08.38.07 09.06.2006 ya i noie Clarice2 1390 D 08.37.53 09.06.2006 coz who puts two sticks at the same place Amanda2 1389 D 08.37.44 09.06.2006 i don't think we shd include htem Amanda2 1388 C 08.37.37 09.06.2006 when i count i leave out the sticks next to it Amanda2 1387 M 08.37.29 09.06.2006 oh oh clarice Amanda2 1386 C 08.37.16 09.06.2006 ok then Clarice2 1385