We focus particularly on learning gains from discussing with others, and how that interplays with basic socio-cognitive phenomena such as joint attention.

A limitation of a lot of work on joint attention and learning, has been its sole focus on learning effects from following the attention of others. More recent work has highlighted even stronger learning gains from initiating joint attention, i.e. being the one that draws others’ attention to something. This can potentially explain the effectiveness of teaching others, be it a fellow student or an animated teachable agent, for one’s own learning. 

Another limitation of earlier research has been the targets of joint attention, which have generally been constrained to physical objects or concrete displays of information (e.g. text on a screen). Expanding the notion of joint attention to also include mental content (O’Madagain & Tomasello, 2019), such as problems and solutions, allows for a comprehensive take on the role of joint attention in collaborative learning. 

Topics addressed include

• The learning benefits of teaching others
• Joint attention to abstract objects, such as problems and solutions
• Using digital platforms to study collaboration
• Collaboration and children with special needs

The workshop is hosted at the department of Special Needs Education, University of Oslo, in collaboration with the ComPros research group and the CREATE Centre of Excellence.

Programme

• 9:00-9:15 Introduction by Andreas Falck
• 9:15-10:00 Collective rationality and decision-making in early childhood (Bahar Köymen, Division of Psychology, Communication and Human Neuroscience, University of Manchester, UK).
• 10:00-10:15 Break
• 10:15-11:00 Is the boss always right? Evidence from preschoolers from three different cultures (Thomas Castelain, Comparative Minds Research Group, University of Girona, Spain).
• 11:00-11:15 Break
• 11:15-12:00 An educational multiplayer game as a tool for studying effects of collaboration on language learning (Janne von Koss Torkildsen & Andreas Falck, Department of Special Needs Education, UiO).
• 12:00-13:15 Lunch break
• 13:15-14:00 The collaborative potential of autistic children in gaming (Fatima-Ezzahra Benmarrakchi, School of Collective Intelligence, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco).
• 14:00-14:15 Break
• 14:15-15:15 Joint Attention to Ideas: how language changes collaboration  (Cathal O’Madagain, School of Collective Intelligence, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Morocco).