Collective reflective assessment for shared epistemic agency by undergraduates in knowledge building

Abstract

We examined the facilitation of shared epistemic agency through a knowledge‐building (KB) design that included analytics‐supported collective reflective assessment (AsCRA). Forty undergraduate students taking a Liberal Studies course at a university in central China used the promising ideas tool and the knowledge building discourse explorer to self‐analyze the online discourse they had created in Knowledge Forum® (KF), an online discourse environment; 34 students in a comparison section of the same course used KF but did not use the additional tools. Both classes were taught by the same teacher and studied the same inquiry topics. Multifaceted analysis of students' interaction in and the quality of discourse on KF, an educational online platform, indicated that analytics‐supported reflective assessment helped them to develop high‐level shared epistemic agency in the KB process. Qualitative analysis showed that AsCRA helped students to focus on high‐level goals (idea negotiation, synthesis of ideas and rise above thinking) in KB, and to engage in continuous assessment, reflection, and action planning to regulate and improve their discourse. The findings have important implications for the design of technology‐rich environments to support learners, and may help teachers identify the potential uses of such environments to encourage learners to engage in productive collaborative inquiry and develop metacognition and agency.

Self‐directed reflective assessment for collective empowerment among pre‐service teachers

“…Collaborative inquiry, a major research strand in education, can help develop learners' higher order competencies, and thus further empower them (van Aalst & Chan, 2012; Yang, Chen, et al ., 2020; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020). However, the progressive development of these competencies depends heavily on learners' ability to metacognitively reflect on and regulate their inquiry (Bransford et al ., 1999; White & Frederiksen, 1998, 2005; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020).…”

“…However, the progressive development of these competencies depends heavily on learners' ability to metacognitively reflect on and regulate their inquiry (Bransford et al ., 1999; White & Frederiksen, 1998, 2005; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020). This is problematic because many learners lack sufficient metacognitive awareness and metacognitive skills for collaborative inquiry (White & Frederiksen, 1998; Yang, Chen, et al ., 2020; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020). Therefore, appropriate scaffolding is needed to help learners develop metacognitive awareness and skills and in turn increase their empowerment.…”

“…Self‐directed reflective assessment (SDRA) is one scaffolding strategy that has been shown to effectively support learners' metacognition and reflective inquiry (Lee, Chan, & van Aalst, 2006; Toth, Suthers, & Lesgold, 2002; van Aalst & Chan, 2007; White & Frederiksen, 1998; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020). SDRA refers to a type of assessment in which learners are given agency to use feedback to analyze tasks and identify knowledge gaps, plan and monitor their progress, and devise methods to improve their ongoing learning while addressing broader problems (White & Frederiksen, 1998; Yang, Chen, et al ., 2020; Yang, van Aalst et al ., 2020; Yang, van Aalst, Chan, & Tian, 2016).…”

“…British Journal of Educational Technology Vol 51 No 6 2020 skills for collaborative inquiry (White & Frederiksen, 1998;Yang, Chen, et al, 2020;. Therefore, appropriate scaffolding is needed to help learners develop metacognitive awareness and skills and in turn increase their empowerment.…”

Hybrid learning spaces––Design, data, didactics

“…Hod and Katz (2020) emphasize the need to design activities to support both sociocognitive and socioemotional spaces in technology‐enhanced learning communities using a novel methodological approach to examine the co‐development of socioemotional and sociocognitive spaces through a group developmental framework and chain analysis. Yang, Chen, Yu, Feng, and van Aalst (2020) examine the facilitation of shared epistemic agency through a knowledge‐building (KB) design that included analytics‐supported collective reflective assessment (AsCRA). They show the importance of the creation of a collaborative–metacognitive culture for Knowledge building inquiry, showing that this culture can be enabled by fostering a sense of community and by helping students deploy and develop metacognitive skills such as reflection and planning.…”