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ONLINE DIALOGUE
 Viewpoint Learning's Online Dialogue enables
people to participate in an electronic dialogue
with others who hold very different worldviews.
In an environment where flaming is rampant, on-line
dialogue is a strikingly civilized process that
finds common ground and reveals new ways forward.
Participants in Online Dialogue use carefully
designed materials to find common ground around
possible solutions to complex issues, reveal
important roadblocks, and define conditions for
public or stakeholder support. These dialogues can engage thousands of
people in a structured format. Online Dialogue can be used independently
or can be combined with other Viewpoint Learning Products.
Online Dialogue can be created through the use of an Interactive
Survey or through Small
Group Dialogue:
online
dialogue through an Interactive Survey
Participants in an Interactive Survey work individually
on a set of choices and tradeoffs surrounding
a thorny issue in a structured process. They
are exposed to a variety of perspectives through
arguments for and against the choices. At certain
points in the process, participants answer questions
about their current thinking, changes in their
perspectives, and the results of their working
through the explicit tradeoffs and arguments.
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online
dialogue through Small Group Dialogue
Participants in a Small Group Dialogue (using software created by WebLab) interact with the materials, as described above, but also interact closely with one another in small, diverse online groups. Small Group Dialogue happens over a set period of time. Groups of 40-50 registered participants (in practice usually around 20 active participants and 20-25 regular “lurkers”) work together to find common ground in a process of structured dialogue.
Many groups can operate simultaneously in this process and the groups can view conversations in other groups, but can only post in their own group. Each group operates as its own virtual community, with its own conclusions that can be compared with the conclusions from other groups. Participants and observers gain a much deeper understanding of the issue, work through the possible solutions and accompanying tradeoffs and form more thoughtful judgment.
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