Enabling the collective to assist the individual: CoREAD, a self-organising reading environment

Abstract

CoREAD, software that enables learners to collaborate indirectly while reading a text, was designed using a self-organising systems approach. Using CoREAD learners highlight portions of the text they deem important. The font colour of the text is then modified based on the collective history of learners’ actions, indicating the importance of the text sections (e.g. red for high importance). This dynamic text becomes a tool for future learners as they read the text and decide which sections are important. In this manner, the learners themselves – often an untapped resource - assist each other. Results from a pilot study suggest that the software enables relatively stable patterns – “collective wisdom” about the text - to emerge from the indirect collaboration of the learners.