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Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (2009) 4:187211
DOI 10.1007/s11412-009-9063-y
Hanni Muukkonen & Minna Lakkala
Received: 19 June 2008 /Accepted: 25 February 2009 /Published online: 13 March 2009# International Society of the Learning Sciences, Inc.; Springer Science + Business Media, LLC 2009
Abstract The skills of knowledge-creating inquiry are explored as a challenge for higher education. The knowledge-creation approach to learning provides a theoretical tool for addressing them: In addition to the individual and social aspects in regulation of inquiry, the knowledge-creation approach focuses on aspects related to advancing shared objects of inquiry. The development of corresponding metaskills is suggested as an important long-term goal for higher education; these pertain, simultaneously to the individual, collective, and object-oriented aspects of monitoring inquiry. Taking part in collaborative inquiry toward advancing a shared knowledge object is foreseen as a means to facilitate the development of metaskills; the present study examines one undergraduate university course in psychology with that aim. The data consisted of a database discourse and students self-reflections after the course, examined by qualitative content analysis. Three analyses investigated discourse evolution, knowledge advancement, and the challenge of the inquiry practices. The student-groups differed markedly in their engagement in the inquiry efforts. The study gave insights concerning novel challenges evoked by knowledge-creating inquiry, relating in particular to commitment, epistemic involvement, dealing with confusion, and the iterative nature of knowledge advancement. We propose the following implication for educational practices: Although dealing with uncertainty and areas beyond ones expertise, as well as engaging in self-directed collaborative inquiry, may seem overly demanding for students, such experiences are decisive for developing ones skills in dealing with open-ended knowledge objects in a longer time frame.
Keywords Inquiry learning . Knowledge-creation . Higher education . Metaskills . Progressive inquiry model . Trialogical learning framework . Collaborative learning . Epistemic objects
H. Muukkonen (*) : M. Lakkala
Centre for Research on Networked Learning and Knowledge Building, Department of Psychology, University of Helsinki, P.O. Box 9, FIN-00014 Helsinki, Finlande-mail: [email protected]
M. Lakkalae-mail: [email protected]
Exploring metaskills of knowledge-creating inquiry in higher education
188 H. Muukkonen, M. Lakkala
Introduction
There is a proposal by Hakkarainen and colleagues to move from the cognitive (individualistic) and social (participatory) approaches to learning toward an inclusive knowledge-creation approach (Hakkarainen et al. 2004). This knowledge-creation approach...