Facilitating Knowledge Building Through Reflective Assessment

Abstract

This study explores whether and how low achievers can assume high level responsibility to accomplish knowledge building by engaging in a self-directed reflective assessment process supported by the knowledge Connections Analyser, software we designed for this purpose (van Aalst et al., 2012). The setting for this study was a class of 20 Grade 11 low achievers working with an expert teacher. Student online discourse was the main data source. Fine and large grain analysis of online discourse were conducted to characterize knowledge building. Results indicated that low achieving students took responsibility for advancing collective knowledge as they generated theories and questions, and built on each others' ideas. The findings have important implications for the design of technology-rich environments as metacognitive tools to support low achievers, and shed light on how teachers can use them to engage learners in metacognitive practices to develop regulatory skills