Teaching Online Dispute Resolution - Presentation Notes from ODR 2012 Session by Bill Warters

7/31/2019 Teaching Online Dispute Resolution - Presentation Notes from ODR 2012 Session by Bill Warters

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Teaching ODR:

What & How?Bill Wa

Wayne Sta


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My focus has been on working

with and learning from conflict

Campus-aCREduca


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A big domain- pearltrees.com/bwarters/tree/id36956


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Communication

Technology and ConflictA fully onli


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Course Structure

Version 2.0


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Course site provides

structure & resources

Using Moodle

Lots of videos


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History of ODR

VoiceThreadPresented at

http://www.adrhub.com/forum/topics/narrating-odrs-history-curren


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Learning module on CMC Theories and ODR


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New iPad App for k-12 educators available August 1 in

Apple iTunes Store


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Get module athttp://campus-adr.net/ODRmodule/

[email protected] and campus-adr.net


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY

COMM 6220

Dispute Resolution and Communication Technology: Online

Dispute Resolution (ODR) Forms and Processes

Fall 2011 Instructor: William (Bill) WartersOnline Course Office: Room 585 Manoogian Hall

Online Office Hours: Faculty Office 313 993-7482 - Mon 2:30-5pm

by appointment (see page 6) Email: [email protected]

In this online course we will examine communication and conflict in online environments. Welllook at some theories about how the chosen channel(s) and modes of communication may influenceoutcomes. Well then explore various ways that people are using online communication tools asadvocates and activists engaged in conflict. Finally, well shift our focus to the evolving set oftechnological tools and techniques that are being used to manage conflict and/or solve difficultproblems. Online Dispute Resolution (ODR), as this relatively new form of conflict intervention has

been labeled, is the application of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) practices and theorieswith networked information technology to manage conflict. Comprised primarily of onlinemediation, negotiation, or arbitration systems ODR also includes information management tools forinformal conflict management by individuals and organizations. (Wiley and Sons InternetEncyclopedia 2004)

ODR is a rapidly growing aspect of the dispute resolution field but it is still in its infancy and thereare many questions about how and when to apply ODR tools. Some examples:

How does the form and delivery of online messages influence conflict interactions? Are there best practices for online communication with respect to conflict prevention and

resolution?

Do the rules of offline ADR apply equally to ODR? How does the introduction of technology change conflict resolution practice? Should we consider digital activism a form of ODR? Can ADR efforts truly be effective when parties are not meeting face-to-face? Do digital natives have different expectations with respect to ODR processes? How may the globalization of e-commerce and web applications impact ODR? Will ODR remain a distinct area of practice as technology becomes more pervasive in all

aspects of life?

We will think through these questions using readings, discussions and online learning applicationsand take a look at many of the major ODR providers, administrative agencies, and internationalorganizations involved in shaping the field. We will also do hands-on work with state-of-the-artODR technologies via simulations and participate in an annual global online conference known asODR Cyberweekheld in October.

Course Learning Objectives

Students will:a) deepen their understanding of communication and networking practices in online environmentsb) identify common sources of conflict in online and networked environments


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c) demonstrate awareness of the particular affordances of different communication mechanisms andtheir utility for solving conflicts

d) understand the powerful influence information technology can play in waging social conflictse) describe ODRs current boundaries and review the kinds of technologies being applied in the

dispute resolution field today

f) understand key differences in practice between more traditional ADR and ODR.g) learn the structure and conduct of ODR and the skills necessary to apply theoretical material toonline conflict scenarios

h) apply ODR concepts to a domain of conflict practice they are interested in

REQUIRED READINGS

Required textbook: Online Dispute Resolution for Business by Colin Rule (Jossey-Bass 2002 -ISBN 978-0-7879-5731-5, publisher's list price $34.95). This textbook may be purchased directlyfrom the publisher Jossey-Bass, or from the WSU Bookstore or Amazon.com. Electronic editionsare available from Jossey-Bass (Adobe Digital Edition) and Amazon.com (Kindle Edition).

Required novel: We'll also be reading a novel that is available in various open access and paidformats. Youll need to acquire a copy in a format (paperback, ePub, pdf, etc) that you arecomfortable reading. The book is Little Brother by author Cory Doctorow it is available fromlocal bookstores, Amazon.com or for free from the author viahttp://craphound.com/littlebrother/download/

Numerous Additional Required Readings and Videos will be made available via the course site.

Readings and Assignments Schedule

A topical outline is provided later in this syllabus. A detailed schedule of reading and contentviewing assignments and specific due dates will be provided separately. For the purposes of the

course, our week will start Monday morning (ie new content will be released for the coming week

on Monday by 10:00 AM)

Assignments and Grading

Students in the course will be graded on the basis of the following activities:Assignment Percent of Course GradeOnline Participation 20

Quote-of-the-Week Forum (10%)Attendance/Engagement (10%)

Demonstrating ComprehensionQuizzes and/or Learning Modules 15

Individual VoiceThread Project 15Paired Negotiation Exercise 10Group Online Multimedia Presentation 20Final Application Paper 20

Active Online Participation

There will be a weekly (with a few exceptions) quote of the week discussion forum assignment

based around the changing course content. Class members are expected to actively engage with


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these by both posting an original contribution and by commenting constructively on at least

two other posts that week. Original student posts will need to besubmitted by midnightSaturday. Follow-up comments and favorite ratings need to be posted by Monday night.

Typically this will require reading/viewing the course content for the week, noting meaningful

statements, selecting one to post, labeling where it came from, and then explaining why it attracted

your attention or why you think it is particularly significant in the context of our class. After youveposted youll be able to see other students selections, which you then can comment on. We will test

out a practice of rating selected quotes to see if we can identify class favorites which will then be

discussed in our Tuesday check-in the following week. Quote-of-the-Week Discussion Forums =

10% of the overall participation category.

Students are also expected to help build our learning community via engagement in shared

learning activities. This includes providing a profile picture of themselves and an informative

user profile description so that others can get to know them and make connections around sharedinterests. Even more importantly, students will help build the community by viewing and

commenting on the interactive VoiceThreads (see explanation below) created by the professor and

other students and by (virtually) attending and engaging constructively with at least 80% of theonline check-ins sessions Tuesday evenings in Wimba Live Classroom and our student grouppresentations. Essentially this means that your engagement score will start to drop if you miss more

than 3 scheduled check-ins and presentations. When possible, well post archives of our meetings as

this content may be subject to quizzing, commenting and discussion in the forums. Engagement and

commenting outside of the forums = 10% of participation category.

Quizzes and Learning Modules to Check Comprehension

Several short quizzes will be posted to gauge student comprehension of the readings and onlinecontent presented. Occasionally a learning activity module will also be presented. Quizzes and

Learning Modules will account for 15% of your grade.

Individual VoiceThread Activity

Students will be provided with a basic account on the VoiceThread service. VoiceThread is a

collaborative, multimedia slide show that holds images, documents, and videos and allows people to

navigate pages and leave comments in 5 ways - using voice (with a mic or telephone), text, audio

file, or video (via a webcam). After trying out several created by the professor, students will beexpected to create a VoiceThread of their own containing at least five VoiceThread pages and 8

comments/annotations by them. You will be asked to provide a short overview of a social problem

or human rights issue you are concerned about and then present a reasoned online advocacy

approach you think would be appropriate for attempting to address this problem constructively.Your final product will be made available for review and commenting by your student colleagues.

Worth 15% of your grade.

Paired Negotiation Activity

We will be exploring the impact of different forms of communication on problem solving. As part

of the process, students with be paired up with a partner and you will attempt to negotiate two

simple scenarios, using asynchronous communication (forum or email) for one and synchronous

communication (live text chat) for the other. Winning is not the goal, but rather experiencing and


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comparing the different modes of interaction and how it influences negotiation behavior.

Appropriate participation worth 10% of your grade.

Group Presentation on Trends and Issues in ODR Practice

Students will work cooperatively in small groups of 3-4 students to prepare a briefing on a current

topic or domain of activity in ODR practice (a topic list will be provided). A wiki space will beprovided to support collaborative planning. Teams will present their work to other class members

via a narrated online slide show, VoiceThread presentation, Prezi, Wimba Live Classroom event or

some other form of multimedia. These will be scheduled for presentation during weeks 11 and 12 of

the course. Team members will be expected to be available to take questions after the presentation.Students will rate both their own and their teammates contributions during the project using a

rubric provided by the professor as part of the marking for the exercise. Worth 20% of grade.

Final Paper Writing Assignment

Class members will write a short paper (approximately 10-15 pages) identifying a dispute resolution

venue where they believe information and communication technology is not being used to full

effect, but conceivably could be used. The paper, due by December 20th, will provide a studiedassessment of the best ways to integrate technology into the chosen venue/topical area and issuesthat may have to be addressed for it to work effectively. Our main textbook and a growing set of

best practice statements will provide some background students can use to build a solid proposal.

COURSE TOPICAL OUTLINEWeek 1 - Course Introduction(s)

We'll spend some time getting to know each other and explore the overall plan for the course. Ashort visual history of communication technology will be introduced to set the stage for our work.

Week 2 - Computer Mediated Communication Overview

This week we explore online communication and the emergence of a field of study known asComputer Mediated Communication (CMC).

Week 3 - Digital Youth & the (Non-)Neutrality of Networked Technology

This week we explore the ways that networked communication technologies can be used as tools for

conflict escalation or deescalation and suppression or advancement of human rights. We'll be

reading a novel (Little Brother) that will help us get deeper into some of the issues related to

conflicts involving technology, security, privacy and the social worlds of "digital natives" and"digital immigrants."

Week 4 Digital Social Activism

We're going to dig deeper into current uses of technology to wage conflict and/or to try and reducethe human costs of social conflict after it has emerged. Youll begin work this week on your

individual VoiceThread on a social issue that interests you.

Week 5 - Introduction to (Online) Communication for Interest-based ADR

We'll review the basics of communication theory and arguments relating to how it may or may not

be appropriate for Alternative Dispute Resolution tasks. Well also start the process of forming

groups for the group presentations later in the course.


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Week 6 - Negotiation with Technology as "the Fourth Party"

This week we will look a bit more at the historical development of ODR, including the development

of the concept of technology as "the Fourth Party" at the ADR table. Well review the claimed

benefits of technology that are used to argue in favor of broad-based ODR adoption. Putting theory

to the test, we will also try out negotiating with a partner using two different mediums of onlinecommunication.

Week 7 - The Current Scope of ODR Practice

We'll think together about the current scope of ODR and the kinds of conflicts that are seen asappropriate. This includes things like domain name disputes, e-commerce, B2B transactions,

insurance claims settlement and more. Happy Conflict Resolution Day on October 20th! Individual

VoiceThread projects will be due this week.

Week 8 - Cyberweek: ODR Platform Simulations, Presentations & More

This week thanks to the international ODR Cyberweek event we'll be getting hands on with a few of

the available ODR platforms, engage in online discussion with the broader field, and learn moreabout emerging opportunities for practice and the application of ODR technology. If you want toget noticed by the broader ODR community, this is a good place to do so. Students who are happy

with their VoiceThreads will be encouraged to share them with others using the Cyberweek

platform.

Week 9 - ODR in the Public Sector (broadly defined)

We will debrief the Cyberweek online conference and explore some of the applications of ODR in

government and public participation processes.

Week 10 - Crisis Mapping and ICT for Development

We'll look at some of the exciting ways mapping, mobile technology and crowd-sourcing are beingcombined to work for peace, development and humanitarian relief.

Week 11 - Student Presentations Begin

Groups (developed earlier) will begin presenting on their selected theme areas. Approved topic

areas include Family Conflict; Workplace and Labor Relations; Environmental Dispute Resolution;Government and Public Policy; E-Commerce (Cross-border and Domestic); and Conflicts in Virtual

and Game Worlds.

Week 12 - Student Presentations Continue

Week 13 - Culture, Conflict and ODR Technology - Challenges and ImplicationsMoving beyond the idea that technology is "culturally neutral," we will take a look at the potential

influence and implications, positive and negative, of culture in the ODR field.

Week 14 - ODR Standards and Best Practices

What are the emergent norms in this field? What does best practice look like these days? We will

find out together by looking at some statements of best practice.


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Week 15 - Emerging Practices & Future Directions for Technology-Assisted Conflict

Resolution

As we wrap up, well review some of the cutting edges of this work and look into our crystal ball

and talk about where the field is or should be heading.

General Policies and Technology ExpectationsAll students are expected to have an active Wayne State email account that sends mail to a

location that they regularly check, and regularhigh speed access to the internet on a relatively

recent (not more than 3-4 years old) computer with a modern web browser. It is strongly

recommended that you have your own personal computer/laptop that can store local copies of mediaand save cookies and session information required to interact with modern web-based applications.

Relying on the local library or community center for access is not recommended due to

unpredictable technical restrictions put in place on such public computers and the likelihood that

you will disturb others when chatting or recording content. Students will also need a headset andmicrophone combination (USB versions that work with Skype are best) so that they can record

and listen to audio and participate in group audio chats without feedback and echo. Ideally, students

will have a webcam as well so that they can add video to their multimedia sessions as appropriate.

It is good practice to keep a backup copy of your written work prior to online submission to

prevent having to redo work if a human, computer or network failure occurs. This is especially

important for items such as the final paper. Points will be taken off for assignments turned in late.

Dont assume you can just claim a course incomplete if you are not finished with your work by theend of the semester. Delays, deferrals, or a grade of incomplete for the course may be given only

in cases of documented personal or immediate family crisis and will require prior arrangement with

the professor.

Our Online Course Environment Moodle http://tools.comm.wayne.edu/moodle/

For many years now the Master of Arts in Dispute Resolution Program has maintained a serverrunning the Moodle course management software suite. Moodle is similar to Blackboard in that itprovides students with a protected learning environment to share readings and discussions but it

does look and perform differently from Blackboard in many respects. This year we are using a

major new release of Moodle, so some experimentation and patience may be required as we kick the

tires on new Moodle features. To get to our Moodle site you can follow the COM6220 course linkfound in your Pipeline account or go directly to http://tools.comm.wayne.edu/moodle (note the

absence of www in the web address). Once there youll need to use the one-time enrollment key

provided by your professor via email to enter the course site.

Contacting Your Professor

There are many ways to connect with the professor. Sending an email is often a good choice, butyou have other options as well. Within Moodle you can use the messaging system via the Messages

block or via the course participants list. Find Bill Warters in the list and click on the name. Belowthe profile details youll see a button labeled Send Message. You can use this to post a message

that only the professor can see. It will be stored in Moodle and will pop up the next time Professor

Warters logs in as well as being forwarded to his email. You will be alerted to his reply the next

time you log in or via email depending on your preference settings. You can also use the free text,voice and video chat tool known as Skype to contact Dr. Warters (Skype name = campusadr) and


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have a discussion. Making an appointment to talk via email is recommended prior to the call to

ensure Dr. Warters is available (he is most of the time) and has access to a computer. Finally, Dr.Warters will be in his on-campus faculty office on Monday afternoons and he can be reached by

phone via 313 993-7482.

Withdrawing from Class: As of Fall, 2006 there are no longer W and X grades, students whowithdraw from a course after the end of the 4th week of class will receive a grade of WP, WF, or

WN.

WP will be awarded if the student is passing the course (based on work due to date) at the

time the withdrawal is requested WF will be awarded if the student is failing the course (based on work due to date) at the

time the withdrawal is requested

WN will be awarded if no materials have been submitted, and so there is no basis for a grade

Students must submit their withdrawal request on-line through Pipeline. The instructor mustapprove the withdrawal request before it becomes final, and students should continue to attend class

until they receive notification via email that the withdrawal has been approved. Students who stop

attending but do not request a withdrawal, will receive an automatic F (failing grade). The last dayto request a withdrawal for Fall 2011 is November 12th.

Grading Scale

The following grading scale will be used for the course grade.

A = 91 - 100%; A- = 90%B+ = 89%; B = 81 - 88%; B- = 80%

C+ = 79%; C = 70 - 78%

D = 60 - 69%F = < 60%

Grade Appeals: The college policy for appealing a final grade can be found at:http://www.cfpca.wayne.edu/current-students.php

Disabilities: If you have a documented disability that requires accommodations, you will need to

register with Student Disability Services (SDS) for coordination of your academic accommodations.The Student Disability Services (SDS) office is located at 1600 David Adamany UndergraduateLibrary in the Student Academic Success Services department. SDS telephone number is 313-577-1851 or 313-577-3365 (TDD only). Once you have your accommodations in place, I will be glad tomeet with you privately during my office hours to discuss your special needs. Student DisabilityServices mission is to assist the university in creating an accessible community where studentswith disabilities have an equal opportunity to fully participate in their educational experience at

Wayne State University.

Please be aware that a delay in getting SDS accommodation letters for the current semester mayhinder the availability or facilitation of those accommodations in a timely manner. Therefore, it is inyour best interest to get your accommodation letters as early in the semester as possible.

Plagiarism/Academic Dishonesty: Materials that are clearly not the student's own work or which

are not appropriately documented will be subjected to close scrutiny. Plagiarism, whether intended


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or not, may be cause for no credit on a particular assignment or even failure of the entire course. All

acts of academic dishonesty including cheating and plagiarism will be treated as violations ofappropriate student conduct and will be subject to disciplinary action. The Wayne State University

Due Process Policy can be found at: http://www.doso.wayne.edu/student-conduct/

Religious Observances: It is Wayne States policy to respect the faith and religious obligations ofstudents, faculty and staff. Students with exams or classes that conflict with their religious

observances should notify the instructor well in advance so that we can work out a mutually

agreeable alternative.

Teaching Online Dispute Resolution - Presentation Notes from ODR 2012 Session by Bill Warters

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Transcript of Teaching Online Dispute Resolution - Presentation Notes from ODR 2012 Session by Bill Warters