Mark Aakhus

New Brunswick, NJ

United States

Profile Information:

About me:

My work focuses on the practices and tools people create to augment human interaction and reasoning. So, for example, I've investigated work dispute mediators, meeting facilitators, and policy professionals perform in creating collaboration out of conflict. But also, the role GDSS, threaded discussion, CHAT, ScienceCourt and other tools for communication play in structuring argument quality over important matters.

In addition, I'm developing a web based tool to support reflection on action. I do this by using theory and methods about social interaction and argumentation. I've also been a practicing dispute mediator for community mediation centers (providing community, divorce, business, policy, interpersonal, victim/offender mediation) and provided facilitation consulting for strategic planning using both traditional and groupware supported facilitation.

My concern is whether the emerging communication, information, and media infrastructure can contribute to improved interaction and reasoning about risk and opportunity in the evolving global environment. The HC4D is promising in this regard.

Web site:

http://scils.rutgers.edu/~aakhus

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• 

  Mark Szpakowski

  Hi Mark,
  can you send me the Compendium/Citrix sign-on details? (Not sure if there's private messaging here - my email is szpak@eastlink.ca).
  Thanks,
  Mark

  May 8, 2008

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  Dino Karabeg

  Hello Mark,
  
  Thanks for your interest in knowledge federation. I am rotating several projects, planning to contact you soon with a couple of ideas regarding Citrix. Meanwhile, please feel invited to our Knowledge Federation 2008 Conference in Dubrovnik, you will find more information on the conference website. You may also look into our closely related Key Point Dialog project on which I am working these days, preparing a new dialog in Zagreb on June 7th.
  
  My regards,
  Dino

  May 11, 2008

• 

  Lynne Johnson

  "My concern is whether the emerging communication, information, and media infrastructure can contribute to improved interaction and reasoning about risk and opportunity in the evolving global environment."
  
  Indeed! Yes.
  
  Just joined the network. I've worked in community dispute resolution, too. Look forward to finding out more about the net's activity.
  
  Some thought and questions.... In the line of "the map is not the territory", in my experience, teaching is not education, information is not communication, broadcasting does not necessarily bear fruit, and interaction does not necessarily create action in a timely manner (whatever that is!). And I wonder, does reasoning get through to the heart of things, the whole of a person's being? As well, I'm interested in whether the infrastructure is grounded. Making common sense. Dialoguing with ordinary people and world leaders alike. I wonder what is included in "the infrastructure", who has access and who does not?
  
  Look forward to finding out what's out there right now; took a meander into writing and teaching T'ai Chi and yoga for a while. My passions for dialogue and the perils of our planet wouldn't let me meander far though, and brought me right back "here", home to dialogue and effective action on behalf of critical needs.
  
  
  Lynne

  Jun 10, 2009