Examining the role of computer‐supported knowledge‐building discourse in epistemic and conceptual understanding

This study characterized students' online collaborative discourse from a theory‐building perspective and examined its relation to epistemic and conceptual understanding. Fifty‐two fifth graders' Knowledge Forum discussions on electricity were analysed. Discourse moves were coded within the inquiry threads, and two key epistemic patterns were identified: problem‐centred uptake and theory‐building moves. Analysis showed that higher‐quality discourse threads included more problem‐centred uptake moves in which ideas were built more coherently on each other to address the central problem. There were also more theory‐building moves on explanation and sustain inquiry. We also examined the relationship between discourse moves and conceptual‐epistemic understanding. Regression analyses showed that problem‐centred uptake predicted epistemic cognition beyond prior epistemic cognition and that theory‐building moves on explanation predicted students' conceptual understanding beyond their prior science understanding. Implications for fostering more productive discourse and sophisticated epistemic cognitions using online discussion are discussed. Lay Description What is already known about this topic: Theory building is an important science practice. Student dialogue and computer‐supported learning in science classroom facilitates science learning. Computer‐supported knowledge building discourse is related to students' science learning. Researchers often examine collaborative online discourse from argumentation perspective; few studies examine it from theory‐building and epistemic perspective. What this paper adds: Develop a coding scheme to characterize elementary‐school students' online discourse moves from theory‐building and epistemic perspective. High‐level discourse involves significantly more sophisticated discourse moves (coherent problem‐centred uptake, making elaborated explanation, and asking deepening questions) than low‐level discourse. Theory‐building discourse has potential to improve both students' science learning and epistemic understanding of the nature of science. Implications for practice and/or policy: Efforts should be made to promote students' theory building via knowledge building discourse. To promote knowledge building discourse, merely encouraging students to ask questions and express different ideas is not enough, we need to scaffold them to build coherently on others' ideas, incorporate new information to construct explanations, and ask deep