Summary
There are four general claims I can now make concerning the role of Modified
Claims and Alternate Claims in argument co-construction.
- The Alternate Claim
generally occurs in a “controversy” model of decision-making,
is a higher form of creative conflict,
generally corrects original claims that are wrong or “fuzzy”,
and allows students in problem-solving groups to disagree while avoiding
direct conflict. - The Modified Claim
can elicit another Modified Claim or Alternate Claim; it can serve as a bridge
or link to the Alternate Claim,
may prompt the ideas that cause the maker of the Alternate Claim to state the
Alternate Claim,
Alteis a lrnate Claower-levelim form of creative conflict when it stands in isolation of an
and refines, clarifies or elaborates original claims that are slightly “fuzzy” or
incomplete. - All Claims are steps in a “reconceptualization” process.
Within episodes, the claim-making role shifts between students, that is the
Modified Claimant and the Alternate Claimant are not the same as the original
Claimant.
The claim-making role is fairly uniformly distributed among the active
students in a group. Usually all students make claims.
When there is a dominant student, he or she tends to make most of the claims.
All students in the group are involved in the argument co-construction, that is,
even the “quiet” students contribute.