Expanding Dialogic Space in Online Undergraduate Research Training: A Design-Based Approach

Abstract

Educational dialogue is widely recognized for its potential to enhance comprehension, foster higher-order thinking, and promote collective intelligence. This study examines how to effectively operationalize and measure the expansion of dialogic space by redesigning an online undergraduate-level research program. This study employs a dialogic form of Design-Based Research (DBR) to explore the operationalization of expanding online dialogic spaces through the development, implementation, evaluation, and refinement of educational interventions. The DBR combines quantitative methods (content analysis with Epistemic Network Analysis) and qualitative methods (interviews with thematic analysis) in a process described, following Wegerif, as ‘chiasmic’ because it involves the dynamic interanimation of the ‘outside’ objective perspective often implied by quantitative research with the more ‘insider’ subjective or lived experience perspective often implied by qualitative research methods. The quantitative analysis identifies "what needs improvement and what works," assessing the creation and expansion of the online dialogic space, while the qualitative analysis examines learners' attitudes towards the interventions. Each phase of DBR sees the quantitative findings inform the qualitative analysis, and vice versa, in a kind of dialogue. In the exploratory phase, dialogic theories were applied to the OURP, leading to the development of an initial design, Design Framework 1. Key interventions included: (1) redesigning online lectures using Prezi for non-linear presentations of research methods; (2) revising discussion prompts to encourage higher-order thinking and learner-driven inquiry; (3) introducing argumentation instructions; and (4) developing a digital self-checking sheet to enhance collective online intelligence. In the main iteration, the interventions were implemented and evaluated. ENA revealed that Prezi visualizations improved understanding of complex research relationships, while authentic discussion questions fostered deeper dialogic engagement. The argumentation instructions and self-checking tool facilitated exploratory interactions, further leading to the expansion of online dialogic spaces. These results informed qualitative interviews with learners and practitioners, which further illuminated how the interventions functioned and the challenges the expanded dialogic space posed, such as increased workload. These insights led to the development of Design Framework 2, which refined task-based discussion formats and scaffolding to maintain dialogic engagement while reducing workload. This study provides a comprehensive operationalization and measurement of expanding online dialogic spaces, offering key contributions: (a) the development and evaluation of design principles for expanding dialogic spaces in online learning, achieved through the innovative integration of dialogic pedagogy with Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Online Undergraduate-level Research Program (OURPs); (b) practical strategies for educators to implement these principles; and (c) a suite of analytical tools for measuring dialogic interaction. Methodologically, this dialogic form of DBR demonstrates how qualitative and quantitative approaches can dynamically inform one another, rather than being merely juxtaposed. It not only rigorously measures the effectiveness of interventions but also fosters continuous reflection and refinement, enabling their transfer to other contexts and empowering researchers to conduct rigorous, impactful investigations that improve practices and advance knowledge.