The Relative and Absolute Effect Size of the Konstanz Method of Dilemma Discussion (KMDD) 1 Georg Lind 2
Abstract In this presentation, the efficacy of the Konstanz Method of Dilemma Discussion KMDD is reviewed, which has been developed by Georg Lind over the past 20 years on the basis of the Blatt-Kohlberg-method of dilemma discussion. While the average effect size of successful interventions and treatments in the field of education, psychotherapy, medicine and work place improvement is about r = 0.30 (Lipsey & Wilson, 1993), the Blatt-Kohlberg method’s mean relative effect size is r = 0.40 (Lind, 2002). In a series of small intervention studies, including a randomized experimental study in Thailand by Lerkiatbundit et al. (2006), the effects of the KMDD on the development of students' moral judgment competence are studied. After improvements of the method on the basis of three core didactical principles, namely a) constructivism, b) alternating phases of support and challenge, and c) free Habermas-type discourse, the relative effect sizes of the KMDD reached r > 0.70, and its absolute effect size grew to about 20 C-points per semester. In contrast, the absolute effect size of regular schooling ranges from +3 points increase to 3 points decrease per year across various countries with different educational systems. Full Text: click here => 1
This is a revised and extended version of my presentation at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association, in the symposium The Quality of the Konstanz Method of Dilemma Discussions (KMDD) for Teaching Moral and Democratic Competencies in Chicago, April 9 - 13, 2007. 2 Contact: Prof. Dr. Georg Lind, Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz. Email:
[email protected], http://www.uni-konstanz.de/ag-moral/
