Students' Multimodal Joint Knowledge Creation in a Technology-Rich Makerspace

• In Event: Play, Maker Space, and Designerly Ways of Knowing

Abstract

Our aim is to further research knowledge on students' knowledge creation within technologically and materially-rich learning environments. Drawing from sociocultural discourse analysis and multimodal interaction analysis, we explored students’ joint knowledge creation while working in small groups in an elementary school’s makerspace. The analysis was guided by a typology of knowledge creation proposed by Mercer and colleagues. Our findings highlight how in addition to language, digital and other “hands on” material modalities as well as embodied actions contributed to the joint knowledge creation. However, due to the multimodal nature of knowledge creation, participating in a makerspace can be cognitively demanding for the students. This calls for the development of pedagogical solutions which facilitate multimodal joint knowledge creation in such environments.

Authors

• Anu Kajamaa, University of Helsinki

• Kristiina P. Kumpulainen, University of Helsinki