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The Wales-Wide Web :: Graham Attwell on Learning, Knowledge and Technology Weblog 455 entries 26-October-2007 1 authors


Interaction is a social process Discussion Topic 0 replies 17-November-2005 Andrea Kohlhase
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Discussion Topic
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17-November-2005 09:31:10
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Author:
Andrea Kohlhase
As interaction is a social process, you argued in your keynote-speech, interaction cannot take place between humans and computers. I disagree.
I do not disagree with the "truth" of the premise, I too believe that real interaction is a social process. But why can't there be a social relationship between user and medium and therefore real interaction? Here are THE characteristics of a social relationship according to a sociologist (Ellen Berscheid): ``At the hard core of the term is the notion that two entities are in a relationship to the extent that they have an {emph{impact}} on each other, or are {emph{interdependent}} with each other in that a change in the state of one causes a change in the state of the other''. So, the real question is: what does "social" mean, does it just concern living beings? Or does it mean that there is mutual trust (... not love ...), mutual respect (if it is a compatible relationship), mutual dependence? Actually, the current talk of "user-centered technology" and "eLearning2.0" (even idealiter) seems to me lop-sided: how can a relationship work if only one of the partners is taken as a partner, the other one as a machine which has to be controlled. The control for a learner over her learning scenario should not be confused with the control for a learner over the medium. I don't want cyborgs, but I do want a good business partner interaction (a SOCIAL interaction) with software. I would love to hear what others think about this.