Metadiscourse and Collective Inquiry of Knowledge-Building Principles for Epistemic Understanding and Knowledge Advance

• In Event: Technology Methods and Tools for Promoting Understanding Within Collaborative Environments

Abstract

This study investigated the role of meta-discourse, students’ online discourse on knowledge building principles, in developing their domain understanding, collective inquiry and epistemic understanding of knowledge building. Twenty-one tenth graders studying visual arts engaged in knowledge-building idea-driven inquiry using Knowledge Forum® (KF), enriched with collective inquiry into knowledge building principles. Quantitative analyses indicate students’ understanding of principles progressed over time; and qualitative analyses showed how they engaged in progressive inquiry of principles as epistemic objects and how they used their principle-based understanding to advance domain inquiry. Interview findings corroborated the roles of principles for enriching students’ epistemic understanding and meta-knowledge of knowledge building. Implications of students’ collective inquiring into principles for development of meta-knowledge and epistemic understanding are discussed.

Authors

• Yuyao Tong, The University of Hong Kong

• Carol K. Chan, University of Hong Kong