Abstracts - Earli

Assessing the development of epistemic agency of students in higher education: an explorativecase studyCrina Damsa, Utrecht University, NetherlandsJerry Andriessen, Utrecht University, NetherlandsPatrick Sins, Utrecht University, NetherlandsGijsbert Erkens, Utrecht University, NetherlandsPaul Kirschner, Utrecht University, NetherlandsEpistemic agency is considered a type of human agency that learners need and develop in thecontext of learning processes (Hakkarainen, 2006) and it is concerned with the complexcombination of qualities that permit a student to deal with knowledge and collaborative knowledgecreation. Education should support students to become responsible for and to become activelyengaged in their own learning and knowledge creation; in other words to become epistemic agents.This study attempts to identify features of epistemic agency development by students in highereducation and to provide a framework to assess this development. An in-depth analysis study wasconducted, using data gathered from higher education students who worked on collaborative tasks,in a project-based set-up. Based on theoretical insights, dimensions of epistemic agency wereidentified. A method of analytic generalization was used to compare the theoretical dimensionswith identified changes in the empirical data and to decide whether these are indicative forepistemic agency development. A preliminary analysis indicated a number of dimensions ofepistemic agency, wherein changes indicating development were identified, such as (collective)responsibility for the shared knowledge object and the advancement of the group’s knowledge,coordination of interdependent plans of actions, or (self) monitoring and reflecting activities.Epistemic agency in two higher education courses in organizational behaviorOrna Shternlicht, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelZvi Ben Ami, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelSarah Schrire, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, IsraelUnlike many courses in higher education where course content is simply transmitted to thelearners usually through frontal lectures, the pedagogical approach in the two higher educationcourses that form the basis for this paper emphasizes learner participation, collaborativeknowledge building, and the development of epistemic agency. Epistemic agency is one of thecentral concepts of trialogical learning, a main focus of the KP-Lab (Knowledge PracticesLaboratory) EU project, which provides the framework for this study. In the trialogical approach,learning is viewed as a process of knowledge creation which concentrates on mediated processeswhere common objects of activity are developed collaboratively (Paavola & Hakkarainen, 2005).Characteristic of epistemic agency is that the participants themselves assume responsibility for theadvancement of their knowledge and inquiry. Rather than rely on the teacher’s or tutor’s cognitiveauthority, the participants take responsibility for their own thinking and problem solving. Throughepistemic agency, the participants are authoring themselves as well as their knowledge objects(KP-Lab, 2006).Consequently, they relate their personal ideas with one another, monitoradvancement of collective activities, and overcome challenges emerging in the process (Paavola &Hakkarainen, 2005 ). The objective of the research is to follow up on these processes and toexplore how they develop.– 178 –