Fostering Graduate Students’ Epistemic Agency in a Knowledge-Building Community Through Cogenerative Dialogue

• In Event: Roundtable Session 82
  In Roundtable Session: Identification and Meaningful Participation

Abstract

This study investigated the development of epistemic agency of a group of 18 graduate students who participated in a knowledge building community. Cogenerative dialogue was the key intervention strategy that engaged the students in assessing the progress of the class and suggesting ways to improve the lessons. Video recording of the cogen sessions formed the main source of data. It was found that engaging students in cogenerative dialogue helps to develop students’ epistemic agency in a knowledge building community. Factors influencing the types of ideas surfaced in the cogen were: the trajectory of development of knowledge of the students, pragmatic concerns of the students, regulative functions of the talks, and the structure and direction set by the instructor.

Author

• Seng Chee Tan, National Institute of Education - Nanyang Technological University