The Invistigation of Productive Classroom Discourse in a Knowledge Building Environment

DOI:10.5176/2251-1814_EeL17.34

Authors: Yuyao Tong, Prof. Carol K.K. Chan, Jan van Aalst

Abstract:

This paper reported an ongoing study that examined classroom dialogue using the Scheme for Educational Dialogue Analysis (SEDA) in a computer-supported knowledge building environment in characterizing the classroom discourse and scaffolding further online and offline productive dialogue. Participants were eleven secondary school students studying in a visual arts class in Hong Kong with a very experienced knowledge building teacher. A designed computer-supported knowledge building environment supported by Knowledge Forum was applied to the class and Knowledge Building Talk (KB Talk) was integrated in the classroom. Analysis of classroom dialogue using SEDA was a first attempt to systematically investigate what and how the KB Talk interacted among students and teachers in a knowledge building environment, as well, this study was also an attempt to try to use the analysis results of classroom dialogue to guide knowledge building teachers in their KB classes.

Keywords: knowledge building; classroom dialogue; SEDA;