Transforming students' view of science through knowledge building

Huang-Yao Hong, National Chengchi University, Taiwan

The purpose of this study was to help college students develop more informed and sophisticated understanding of the evolutionary nature of scientific knowledge. Participants were 42 undergraduates who took a college course titled “Introduction to Natural Sciences.” An online collaborative knowledge building environment, enabled by a software program called Knowledge Forum was provided for students’ knowledge work. Data mainly gathered from a belief questionnaire and students’ discourse recorded in a Knowledge Forum database over a semester period of time. Preliminary findings revealed desired changes in students’ view of science in several aspects such as improved understanding of the evolutionary and creative nature of scientific knowledge. Further analysis on students’ online discourse will be conducted to better understand the detailed processes that made possible such change of scientific view.