Philosophical speech act theory and challenges in interactive dialogue: Experiences of narrow communication

Halvor Nordby

doi:10.7577/seminar.2370

Abstract

Background. Modern information conveying technology can facilitate interactive communication that transcends the possibilities of information exchange in ordinary face-to-face dialogue. However, interactive communication has its limits, related to lack of personal and physical closeness between communicators. When a communication channel is narrow – when written signs or verbal utterances are the only interpretive clues – misinterpretation and poor dialogue happens more easily than in face-to-face encounters. Design. The article analyses the concept of interactive narrowness on the basis of philosophical speech act theory and a study on interaction between paramedics and health personnel working in acute medical communication centers. Method. The article uses a combination of theoretical interpretation and experimental philosophy – philosophical analysis ‘from below’ – to develop a conceptual analysis of interactive narrowness that is grounded in actual experiences of this form of communication. Analysis. The paramedics held that it was difficult to secure interactive communication in hectic and unpredictable situations involving emotional disagreement and conflicts about choices of actions. Even when it was possible to discuss difficult situations on the phone, this could not replace face-to-face dialogue. Discussion. The paramedics’ experiences support the conclusion that there is an irreducible interpretive element in face-to-face dialogue that is not present in interactive communication. Speech act theory can shed further light on this irreducibility and, more specifically, on the importance of personal closeness in communication. Implications. Face-to-face communication is crucial in contexts that have similarities to the sensitive situations described by the paramedics. The article indicates how this and related implications apply in various settings and uses interactive dialogue between teachers and students in distance learning courses as an example area to clarify the main implications.

Highlights

Interactive information exchange has become a dominant form of human communication, in our private lives, and in pedagogical contexts such as dialogue between professional teachers and students (Keegan 1996, Caron 2007)
Interactive communication and information conveying technology are used on all study levels – from primary schools to universities and in many further education courses
The most obvious challenge is that communicators do not have full awareness of the context ’in the other end’ – there is not the same kind of personal closeness and rich observational access as in ordinary face-to-face encounters (Nordby 2006, Bargiela-Chiappini & Haugh 2010)

Summary

Introduction

Interactive information exchange has become a dominant form of human communication, in our private lives, and in pedagogical contexts such as dialogue between professional teachers and students (Keegan 1996, Caron 2007). Learning programs like Fronteri and Its Learningii are implemented and used as pedagogical tools over a large scale, often in combination with more common programs like Skype and Facebook (Saba & Shearer 1994, Keegan 1996, Saba 2000). These programs constitute structuring frameworks for interactive dialogue in the sense that they have many functions that are designed to secure successful exchange of thoughts and beliefs (Nordby 2006, Anderson 2008). The article indicates how this and related implications apply in various settings and uses interactive dialogue between teachers and students in distance learning courses as an example area to clarify the main implications

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