A Prototype Facilitators Dashboard: Assessing and Visualizing Dialogue Quality in Online Deliberation for Education and Work

The emerging next generation ("Web 3.0") of socio-technological tool development is adding additional support for reflecting on and improving the quality of online information, communication, and action coordination. An important opportunity is that online systems can include tools that directly support participants in having higher quality and more skillful engagements. We are evaluating dialogue software features that support participants directly and "dashboard" tools that support third parties (mediators, teachers, facilitators, moderators, etc.) in supporting higher quality deliberation. In this paper we will focus on our work in educational settings (college classes) and on our development of a Facilitators Dashboard that visualizes dialogue quality indicators for use as facilitation tools or participant social awareness tools. We are particularly interested in supporting the "social deliberative skills" that interlocutors need to build mutual understanding and mutual regard in complex or contentious situations.