Facilitating Cognitive Group Display

Summary

A group of people working together on a problem-solving or decision-making task often make use of a visual display (e.g. a blackboard).

The contents of the display represent the cognitive behavior of the group in an explicit form. A text-graphic display serves as a rational external device (cf. Luria, l946). As equipment for use, the display can also be considered as an augmentation system for the intellect (cf Englebart, l962); ways of using it can be called methods of thinking.

What can a facilitator do to increase the effectiveness of a group working in such a medium? This question can be investigated if the facilitator operates within a liberal empirical framework of the type used by behaviorial counseling. Both facilitator and group can use the display as a source of feedback on the effectiveness of their immediate behavior.

A simple manipulable display system is described in the paper. Serving as both measuring instrument and powerful group medium, it is a frame of reference for characterizing the facilitation of groups doing cognitive display activity.

Portion of manipulable wall display generated by the
US Geological survey during a problem solving session.

Contents

I. Cognitive Group Display Behavior: Task Groups Which Write and Draw Together
II. The Manipulable Group Display: Manipulable Displays and Cognitive Tasks
The Display as a Decision Support System
The Display as an Instrument for Measurement and Evaluation
III. Intervening to Assist Cognition: The Justification for Intervention
The Ethics of Intervention
Overview
IV. Models for Intervention: Integrating Agent
Behaviorial Group Counselor
Facilitator and Recorder
Concept Therapist
V. Facilitating Cognitive Group Display Behavior: General Strategy
The Long-Term Context (months to days)
Immediate Social Environment (hours to minutes to seconds)
Cognitve Display Techniques (hours to minutes to seconds)
Appendix: Examples of Facilitation Behavior: Immediate Social Environment
Examples of Facilitation Behavior: Cognitive Display Techniques
Agenda for Weekly Workshop
Techniques for Measuring and Evaluating Group Cognitve Behavior

Bibliography

Return to papers list