Personal epistemology is a new term I picked up today. It refers to beliefs about knowledge and knowing. I know students’ perception of what knowledge is and how to learn have huge impact on their actually learning. For example, for those students who don’t regard peers as the important source of knowledge, the incentive for collaborative learning might be low.

I just didn’t realize there is a lot of research focusing on this connection between personal epistemology and learning. Hofer BK, Schraw G and Hammer D seem to have quite some publication in this respect. In addition to the general perception on knowledge, there are also discipline-specific epistemology.

The process of change must be initiated from both ‘bottom up’ and‘top down’, with the bottom having the knowledge and the top the power. Either may be the initiator, but the first real step is for both top and bottom to be committed to the change.The top must use its power, not overtly and directly, but to facilitate the work from the bottom and to provide conditions under which it can prosper.

The article has some pretty good discussion on the change process in the context of higher education

This might be seen as different stages along the technology adoption process. Dwyer, Ringstaff & Sandholtz(1990) revealed five stages of technology integration:

1. 1. entry: get familiar with technology
   2. adoption: use technology to support old pedagogoy or practice
   3. adaptation: use technology as productivity tool
   4. appropriation: trying new instructional strategies
   5. invention: create new teaching strategy drastically different from the old ones

Some of the researchers tend to think that the invention stage should be all the teachers should aim to reach. But drastic change are more likely to meet resistence. Thus to set in motion the change process, we probably should let the teachers to start from the beginning phase of this technology adoption stages. Give them the leeway to stay wherever they are comfortable with. Change one bit at a time, instead of starting with this “reenginnering pedagogy” in mind. Pedagogy is tightly associated with one’s belief which indeed is very difficult to change.It takes time and persistent efforts.

Thus I am thinking when we are putting together the cases of good practice, probably we should include all types of cases at different phases of technology adoption. There ARE cases of effective use of technology just to support old ways of doing things.