Conceptual Acquisition and Change through Social Interaction

The present article begins with an examination of where collective knowledge construction is likely to occur. After a brief discussion of the conditions necessary for inventing rather than simply reproducing knowledge through social interaction (horizontal information flow, prior domain knowledge, and availability of intellectual tools), a prototype of such interaction is offered – a class taught using the Hypothesis-Experiment-Instruction method. Experimental data are then presented on the effects of discussion on college students’ ability to learn the concept of buoyancy. Finally, it is proposed that conceptual acquisition or change is induced through social interaction, such as a science activity, although the acquisition or change occurs in the individual’s mind. The role that meta-cognitive beliefs play in scientific knowledge is emphasized.