Digalo is a tool for supporting argumentative discussions by
utilizing a graph structure within which, graph nodes represent discussion
contributions and edges express relations between contributions. ‘Participants
discuss by adding, editing, moving and deleting nodes (“Shapes”) and edges
(“Links”) in a graph shared between all participants (“Map”).’ (Krauß, 2008)
Digalo works in two methods: Single-user (“Local”) and
multi-user (“synchronous”) mode. In local mode, a single user may work on or
develop a map stored in a local file, while in synchronous mode; many
participants are working on a shared map, stored and coordinated through a
shared Digalo server.
Participating in a discussion
Digalo’s main screen shows the shared discussion space and a
toolbar. Additionally, users and layers can be shown at the bottom:
Digalo Map
Participants contribute by selecting an available shape and
placing it into the map. With the selection tool, individual may select, move,
resize and inspect contributions. Holding the mouse cursor over a contribution
exposes a tooltip window with contribution details not visible by default.
Freshly added and double-clicked contributions open a contribution editor
dialogue, if allowed:
Contribution box in
Digalo
This contribution dialogue will have two text areas for the
content:
• The Title
is supposed to hold a short summary or title of the contribution. Its content
is always visible in the map view.
• In
contrast, the Note field may hold a more detailed description. Its content is
not visible by default – in order to see it, a user must either open the
contribution inspector or hover the mouse over the contribution to see its
tooltip.
This separation of content allows expressive and detailed
contributions to be made without cluttering the map display or requiring overly
large contribution shapes.
Users may edit contribution contents and appearance.
Facilitators may configure access rules, e.g. whether users are allowed to
change other participant’s contribution contents. For example:
Setting of access
rules in Digalo
The dialogue box is represented by different shapes and
arrows to identify connections between shapes. Digalo allows an unlimited
number of contribution (predefined shapes) and link types (colour and line
variations of arrows) and allows the shapes to be changed during a discussion.
This allows facilitators to employ more fine-grained variations of contribution
types or introduce different discussion phases with different contribution
types available as necessary, e.g. a peer review phase after the actual
discussion. All participants are allowed to contribute simultaneously.
The map background is a virtual empty area of theoretically
unlimited size, expanding and shrinking as needed. A map can grow into all
directions and if the size exceeds the available screen size, Digalo allows you
to choose either to dynamically scale down the graph display to fit the whole
map or to show sub-area of fixed size on the screen. Instead of a plain colour,
facilitators may set a regular grid or an arbitrary image as map background,
for example to illustrate a discussion topic or to provide a spatial structure.
But participants may set image backgrounds to individual contribution shapes
(if map settings permit this operation).
Versatile use of
Digalo
This development of online dialogue in the direction of
visual argumentation looks like a step forwards towards the expansion of the
opening of dialogue. All participants can see the whole map and can participate
easily and can also reflect on the process of shared enquiry easily. As the
content of the online ‘ontology’ of the allowed contribution types can be
decided by the participants so it is possible to have a ‘meta-cognition’ or
‘rise above’ box to support reflection. In theory through this spatial mapping
more people can participate at once and the patterns of their thinking can be
seen at a glance.
Facilitator Role
The facilitator has got support from awareness tools
(developed in the Argunaut System) in the form of a moderators interface. The
facilitator can put in a starter question / activity and allow the participants
to carry on the discussion. The facilitator can use the moderators interface to
highlight points made by individuals and send pop up comments. This can be used
by the facilitator to guide, praise or correct the individual. This is a
private response to the individual. Pop up messages can be sent to all
participants. For example, ‘time to move to next point’. The software allows
the facilitator to view the levels of participation by individuals, the deep
loop learning, and levels of use of different shapes when contributing to
discussions and so on. The idea underlying the development of moderators
interface is to allow one facilitator to facilitate several synchronous
discussions. Here again is the difference in the role of the facilitator like
that seen in InterLoc, as the contribution of the facilitator in the discussion
content is minimal to none. The files can be saved and reviewed later. In fact
the whole discussion can be replayed to see the way understanding of the
knowledge was developed.
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