Questions for conversation theory or conversation theory in one hour

Kybernetes ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 46 (9) ◽  
pp. 1578-1587
Author(s):  
Paul Pangaro
Keyword(s):  
Software Design ◽  
Educational Psychology ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Human Interaction ◽  
Knowledge Modeling ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Ideal Situation ◽  
Is Theory ◽  
Conversation Theory ◽  
Skeletal Model

Purpose In an ideal situation, the author would like to answer each of the following questions: What is Conversation? What is Theory? What is Conversation Theory, anyhow? How did it arise? Who participated? How is it a theory? Where did it end up? Is it interesting? How might it be useful? Where has it been applied? Why should you care? What does it offer the practice of education? Of design? Of ethics? Where is it headed? (Sorry, steering joke, since Conversation Theory is situated in cybernetics, the art of steering). The purpose of this paper is to answer as many of these questions as practical. Design/methodology/approach The seeds of Conversation Theory lie in Gordon Pask’s instincts and in his “making”. This paper begins by describing some of the machinery he constructed to explore human interaction. Next, a skeletal model of conversation is offered, and connections to Pask’s own diagrams are drawn. Complementary to these models of the structure of conversations are their consequences, which are described in broad terms rather than given in detail. Lastly, Pask’s approach to proposing a scientific theory, and his means of achieving it, are explained. Originality/value Conversation Theory is a thoroughly original body of work, unmatched by its range and specificity. It is little known and yet potentially profound, with a scope that has already influenced educational psychology, second-order cybernetics, knowledge modeling and software design. By describing its origins, models and implications, the author hopes its value can be extended to new generations and to new domains.

scholarly journals A Case Study on Developing a Classroom Web Application Using Behavior-Driven Development

2013 ◽  
Vol 11 (3 and 4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Austin Vance ◽  
Trevor Cickovski
Keyword(s):  
Development Strategy ◽  
Software Design ◽  
Web Application ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
General Applicability ◽  
Iterative Development ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Two Sides

Behavior-Driven Development (BDD) is a software design methodology which bridges the developer-client gap by evolving software through communication between the two sides and shaping it to the goals of shareholders. As a recently published iterative development strategy, BDD is slowly being adopted as a software practice in a wide range of domains. We study the applicability of BDD to designing Narwhal, a classroom drawing application that mimics a combination of PowerPoint slides and whiteboard. Through this case study, we employ junior and senior seminar students as clients and view the effects of BDD on Narwhal’s evolution over a three-month period. We conclude with a discussion on the general applicability of BDD to the design of classroom tools following lessons learned from this case study.

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