Abstract
This chapter presents critical reflections on the multivocal analyses presented in the preceding chapters in this volume by Teplovs and Fujita, Law and Wong, and Chiu on the asynchronous discussion data collected in an online graduate education course using Knowledge Forum. The multivocal analyses are discussed along five dimensions: theoretical assumptions, purpose of analysis, unit of analysis/unit of interaction, data representations, and manipulations on data representations. The diverse interpretations and findings of pivotal moments are explicated in light of broader dynamic group processes that support knowledge building in online graduate course contexts. The implications of multivocal analysis for design-based research are discussed.
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Acknowledgements
  I would like to thank Chris Teplovs, Nancy Law, Wing Wong, and Ming Ming Chiu for their insightful analyses of this dataset. This data was originally collected with funding from the Social Sciences Research Council of Canada and the Canadian Foundation for Innovation awarded to Clare Brett at the University of Toronto.
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Fujita, N. (2013). Critical Reflections on Multivocal Analysis and Implications for Design-Based Research. In: Suthers, D., Lund, K., Rosé, C., Teplovs, C., Law, N. (eds) Productive Multivocality in the Analysis of Group Interactions. Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning Series, vol 15. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8960-3_24
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