Instrumental Dimension

People decide dialogically what they want to learn, which allows them to acquire instrumental knowledge (Racionero, 2010). For example, it is usual for people to be interested in understanding current news and everyday issues related to science that directly affect them, including scientific advances that can improve their quality of life. That is why it is important that the content is chosen by the participants.

"The ability to select and process information is the cognitive tool that best enables one to function confidently in today’s society. Dialogue and reflection encourage the development of that ability. Relationships with other people put not only diverse information but also its selection and processing at our disposal; dialogue helps us choose the most convenient means of public transportation to get to a new job and to use the new computer in the office. Reflection is vital in order to understand fully the task we need to accomplish and to use our creativity in finding new solutions to the problems that arise. When dialogue is egalitarian, it encourages intense reflection, since people need to understand other positions and express their own." (Flecha, 2000, p. 16)