Table 1 The question-conflict-reasoning coding protocol

Question episodes

Verification questions

Asking team members to verify specific information.

Has everyone had a chance to read this?

Search questions

Asking team members to find and report information taken from text, criteria, or data.

What was the cost for maintenance? How big is the roof?

Open questions

Asking others for input on the next course of action or for explanations about concepts to fill the lack of understanding.

I do not understand how you got this answer. Can you please explain?

Verification answers

Yes/no answers to verification questions.

Yes, we need to make a decision now.

Short answers

Reported information or knowledge derived from text, criteria, or data given in response to questions.

The total cost of solar panels is more than the no change option.

Elaborated answers

Elaborated explanations to answer any type of questions.

The large drop in energy consumption means a significant decrease in carbon dioxide emissions.

Conflict episodes

Conflicts elicited

Disagreement with a statement or course of action of another. It also includes elicitation of a counter-argument through questioning.

I do not think that’s the final cost though.

Conflicts elaborated

Statements that resolve and clarify the disagreements between team members.

There is a difference between these two calculations because the unit price for a solar panel is different based on their size.

Reasoning episodes

Observational

Statements that are obtained directly from given text, information, or data.

The solar panels are 8 by 6 ft.

Calculation

Statements that refer to calculations.

We just need to divide 1500 by 30, and then multiply that by 90 to find the energy cost.

Procedural

Statements that indicate propositions about the course of action through reasoning or hypotheses.

First, it is better to convert meters to feet because the given numbers are in square feet.