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Functional Epistemic Games for Knowledgeable Action in Professional Learning
ICLS 2014, 26 June
The University of SydneyCentre for Research on Computer Supported Learning and Cognition
Lina Markauskaite
Peter Goodyear
Agnieszka Bachfischer
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Knowledge work for professional action and innovation
Some trends & expectations from Higher Education 1. Evidence generating practice2. Relational expertise 3. “Second-hand” knowledge4. Open innovation & co-
configuration
What does it mean for HE?
Knowledge Flexibility, Adaptability
?
Moving away from
knowledge Rethinking knowledge &
epistemic fluency
“…learning for an unknown future has to be a learning understood neither in terms of knowledge or skills but of human qualities and dispositions.”
“Learning for an unknown future” (Barnett, 2004, 247)
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“Knowledgeable action” and “actionable knowledge”
Knowledge as a tool› “People who use tools actively rather
than just acquire them, by contrast, build an increasingly rich understanding of the world in which they use the tools and of the tools themselves.”
(Brown et al, 1989, 33)
Working knowledge is “knowledge that is particularly useful to get things accomplished in practical activities.”
(Yinger & Lee, 1993, 100)
Informed by broader notions of “knowledge as a tool” and “working knowledge”
Fusing representational & performative views of knowledge
Epistemic fluency through epistemic games
• Epistemic games are patterns of inquiry that have characteristic forms, moves, goals and rules used by different epistemic communities to guide inquiry
(based on Collins & Ferguson, 1993)
• Epistemic fluency is an ability “to use and recognise a relatively large number of epistemic games”
(Morrison & Collins, 1996, 108)
“When people engage in investigations - legal, scientific, moral, political, or other kinds - characteristic moves occur again and again”
(Perkins, 1997, 50)
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Epistemic games in professional learning
› To uncover characteristic ways of knowing that future professionals learn to enact when they are performing complex knowledge-demanding professional tasks
Aim
“different disciplines are needed to build a detailed theory of different epistemic forms and games <...> and to identify other forms and games that sophisticated inquirers use”
(Collins & Ferguson, 1993, 40)
From “formal” to “functional” epistemic games
But…
› “...decision making, problem solving, and like kinds of thinking do not have specifically epistemic goals -- goals of building knowledge and understanding”
(Perkins, 1997, 55)
› Formal epistemic games - patterns of inquiry that are used in a system of formal professional reasoning and judgement
› Functional epistemic games – patterns of inquiry which contribute to the way participants generate (situated) knowledge that informs their action(after Greeno, 2012)
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Method: “Cognitive-cultural archaeology”
Phase 1 Phase 2Disciplines Pharmacy
NursingSocial workSchool counselingEducation
PharmacyEducation
Sample 20 professional practice courses 3 tutorial groups2 students’ groups
Data Course resourcesInterviews
ObservationsCourse resourcesOpen interviews
Methods Epistemic interviewingCognitive task analysis
Ethno- audio/video taped observations
Analysis of professional practice tasks
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Principles for identifying and sorting out games
1. Distinct functional epistemic goal and recognisable form of the outcome
2. Identifiable characteristic moves, rules and other generative mechanisms and principles of how to proceed
1. Epistemic agenda – what it aims to achieve
2. Epistemic focus – what sort of knowledge it produces
3. Nature of object – what is the nature of epistemic object around which the game unfolds
4. Nature of expertise – what sorts of knowledge and skills do expert players need
Sorting out gamesIdentifying games
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Findings
Classes of epistemic games
1. Propositional games
2. Situated problem-solving
3. Meta-professional discourse
4. Trans-professional discourse
5. Translational public discourse
6. “Weaving” games
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Propositional (formal) games
› Research games: testing an innovative pedagogical design
› Concept combination games: creating a taxonomy of symptoms
› Conceptual tool games: developing “best practice” guidelines for nursing
Example: A conceptual tool game
Epistemic agenda – to enhance conceptual understanding that informs action
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Situated problem-solving games
› Coding: translating information into a form suitable for processing
› Producing: working out potential issues and solutions
› Fitting: prioritising and integrating into one recommendation
› Making: producing final artefacts (eg. a recommendation, a lesson plan, a case report)
Example: A producing game
Epistemic agenda – to enhance situated understanding of a particular problem
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Meta-professional discourse games
› Articulation games: reflection, inscription of a “good practice”
› Evaluation games: evaluation of a lesson or of a plan
Example: An evaluation game
Epistemic agenda – to enhance professional perception by redescribing products and actions from a (shared) professional community frame
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Trans-professional discourse games
› Exchanging games: writing referrals and recommendations
› Sensemaking games: interpreting curriculum requirements, choosing a textbook
Example: An exchanging game
Epistemic agenda – to create links between different professional knowledges and enhance joint knowledgeable actions
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Translational public discourse games
› Reading games: patient’s interview
› Concept games: explaining a therapy or a diet for a patient
› Public tool-making games: producing handouts, information sheets
Example: A tool-making game
Epistemic agenda – to extend professional knowledgeable action to the actions of others in everyday world
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Weaving games
› Open games: interviewing a patient in her home
› Semi-scripted games: dispensing a medication without a prescription
› Routine games: dispensing a prescription
Example: An open game
Epistemic agenda – to weave language, physical and symbolic actions for enhancing functionality of professional knowledgeable work
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Summary: Functional epistemic gamesGame Epistemic focus Epistemic agenda Object Expertise
Propositional games
Professional knowledge base
Enhancing conceptual understanding
Generic conceptual tools
Meta-contributory expertise
Situated problem-solving
Solutions of specific professional problems
Enhance situated understanding
Professional knowledge artefacts
Contributory expertise
Meta-professional games
Understanding of existing professional products & actions
Enhancing professional perception
Meta-professional discourse & artefacts
Interactional expertise
Trans-professional games
Links between different professional knowledges
Enhancing joint knowledgeable action
Boundary discourse & artefacts
Relational expertise
Translational public games
Links between professional & lay knolwedges
Extending professional knowledgeable action
Translational discourse & artefacts
Translational expertise
“Weaving” games
Distributed, embodiedknowledgeable action
Enhancing functionality of professional knowledgeable work
Co-constructed epistemic environment
(Professional) Epistemic fluency
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Epistemic games and different kinds of expertise
Game ExpertisePropositional games Meta-contributory expertiseSituated problem-solving games Contributory expertiseMeta-professional games Interactional expertiseTrans-professional games Relational expertiseTranslational public games Translational expertise“Weaving” games (Professional) Epistemic fluency
(after Harry Collins, 2010; Edwards, 2010)
(Professional) Epistemic fluency is ones ability to switch between, coordinate and weave of different expertises in activity
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Key insights
1. From cognitive and discourse structures to physicality and materiality of epistemic games
2. From constructing individual understanding to enhancing microsystem’s capacity for knowledgeable action
3. From an object to a dynamic system and its environment for knowledgeable activity
In order to understand professional learning for knowlegeable action we need to move beyond formal epistemic games and standard
learning as knowledge-building agendas
Expanding epistemic focus of professional knowlegeability
SidewaysForward
Up
Dow
nIn
Epistemic fluency (re)defined
Epistemic fluency as a capacity…
1. To integrate different kinds of knowledge
2. To coordinate different ways of knowing
3. To assemble an epistemic environment
4. To construct consci(enci)ous self
Learning as growing…
