Influence of participation, facilitator styles, and metacognitive reflection on knowledge building in online university courses

• Published in: Computers and education Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 874 - 884
• Main Authors: Cacciamani, Stefano, Cesareni, Donatella, Martini, Francesca, Ferrini, Tiziana, Fujita, Nobuko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.04.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Blended; Blended Learning; College Instruction; Computer-mediated communication; Constructivism (Learning); Cooperative Learning; Cooperative/collaborative learning; Education; Epistemology; Facilitators (Individuals); Influences; Instructional Design; Instructional Effectiveness; Leadership Styles; Learning; Learning Processes; Metacognition; On-line systems; Online; Online Courses; Pedagogical issues; Post-secondary education; Reflection; Strategy; Student Participation; Students; Teaching/learning strategies; Undergraduate Students; Web Based Instruction; Cooperative/collaborative learning; Teaching/learning strategies; Pedagogical issues; Computer-mediated communication; Post-secondary education
• ISSN: 0360-1315; 1873-782X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.compedu.2011.10.019

Understanding how to foster knowledge building in online and blended learning environments is a key for computer-supported collaborative learning research. Knowledge building is a deeply constructivist pedagogy and kind of inquiry learning focused on theory building. A strong indicator of engagement in knowledge building activity is the socio-cognitive dynamic of epistemic agency, in which students exercise a higher level of agency for setting forth their ideas and negotiating fit with those of others rather than relying on their teacher. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of (a) levels of participation, (b) facilitator styles and (c) metacognitive reflection on knowledge building in two blended, post-secondary education contexts. A study of a total of 67 undergraduate students suggest that high levels of participation, a supportive facilitator style, and ample opportunities for metacognitive reflection on the students’ own participation strategies are most conducive for fostering epistemic agency for knowledge building. Implications of these results for research and instructional design of online courses are discussed. ► Higher level of participation is associated with a higher level of epistemic agency. ► A supportive facilitator style foster a higher level of epistemic agency. ► Metacognitive reflection on the strategies help a higher level of epistemic agency.