The Organization of Embodied Epistemics in a Technologically Based Science Learning Environment

• In Event: Westin Roundtable Session 3

Abstract

Drawing on epistemics (Heritage, 2013), the paper explores how the Science Through Technologically Enhanced Play (STEP), an mixed-reality learning environment supports embodied actions (Heath & Luff, 2013) and organizes participants’ interactions. It offers empirical data that counters that using epistemics to analyze sequence organization makes one susceptible to focusing only information exchange or that cognition is in the head (Lynch & Wong, 2016). The data is drawn from a prior study where 2nd graders make claims about the behavior of particles in states of matter as they engage in the STEP learning environment (Authors, 2015). The analysis pays attention to how the STEP learning environment functions as a sequence starter and helps shape participants’ epistemic stances.

Author

• Asmalina Saleh, Indiana University