Epistemic agency and pervasive knowledge building in a grade two classroom
Subtitle: examining the potential of handhelds in collaborative inquiry.
Published: 2004
Language: eng
Number of pages: 107
Subjects: Learning, Psychology of.; Education, Primary -- Computer network resources.; Education, Primary -- Computer-assisted instruction.; Human-computer interaction.; Educational technology.; Teaching -- Computer-assisted instruction.
Description: The central goal of this thesis is to engage students in new pedagogies that enable them to take control of their own knowledge advancement and allow such pursuit to pervade all aspects of mental life. This study describes a design experiment examining the use of handheld computers in a grade two knowledge-building classroom. Specifically, the focal problem under investigation asks, how can the technological affordances of inexpensive handhelds be directed towards the support of pervasive knowledge building and epistemic agency? Researcher observations are documented over a six-week period as a number of innovations utilizing collaborative inquiry are designed for use within a technologically enriched grade two classroom (N = 22). Findings suggest that handhelds can be an effective technological assist in the knowledge-building classroom and there is some evidence to suggest that handhelds may have a role in fostering epistemic agency. Implications of these findings for computer-supported collaborative learning environments are explored.
Notes: Adviser:  Earl Woodruff.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2004.

Electronic version licensed for access by U. of T. users.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 42-06, page: 1940.

MICR copy on microfiche (2 microfiches).