Informal conversations of students at a Pacific Islands university: A study of the nature of shared information and knowledge construction

Dorovolomo, Jeremy and Rore, Alice and Waqairatu, Salote and Kuma, Clayton and Maebuta, Jack (2017) Informal conversations of students at a Pacific Islands university: A study of the nature of shared information and knowledge construction. [Conference Proceedings]

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Abstract

This study investigated the topic and information in informal conversations by 332 students at a Pacific Islands university, utilizing the College Student Experiences Questionnaire (CSEQ). A quantitative study, it used descriptive statistics and the Kruskal-Wallis test to analyse data. Conceptualized around the notion of grapevines, it found that students are least likely to have conversations on the arts, but are more likely to have conversations on the economy. It was also found that the students were least likely to persuade their peers as a consequence of knowledge they have gained, but are likely to refer to knowledge they have gained to investigate other ways of thinking about a topic. This has implications for the understanding of the coconstruction of knowledge by university students outside of class, and what influence that could have on the understanding of intellectual conversations of students within the class. It is important to recognize that the “community of truth” should not be seen as existing only in the classroom, but out-of-class as well where students can have a better understanding of the curriculum, evaluate what is happening in society, and also have the opportunity to disagree and interrogate what is being taught to them.

Item Type:	Conference Proceedings
Subjects:	L Education > L Education (General) L Education > LB Theory and practice of education > LB2300 Higher Education
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Marine Studies Faculty of Business and Economics (FBE) > School of Accounting and Finance Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Education Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > School of Language, Arts and Media Faculty of Arts, Law and Education (FALE) > Institute of Education
Depositing User:	Fulori Nainoca - Waqairagata
Date Deposited:	12 May 2017 03:57
Last Modified:	13 Jun 2018 00:18
URI:	http://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/9861

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