Abstract of Keynote Speech

Epistemologies in Action
Kirsti Lonka
University of Helsinki, Finland

People have varying conceptions of learning that play a role in how they approach learning tasks (Lonka, 1997). They are closely related to students’ beliefs about the nature of knowledge, referred to as personal epistemologies (Hofer & Pintrich, 1997; Hofer, 2000; Lonka & Lindblom-Ylänne, 1996; Nieminen, 2011; Perry, 1968; Perry, 1970; Ryan, 1984).Conceptions of learning also provide a window for looking at epistemologies, because they implicitly include conceptions of the origin and nature of knowledge. For instance, students who express a dualist epistemology may be more likely to prefer rehearsal strategies than do students categorized as relativists (Lonka & Lindblom-Ylänne, 1996). Our recent research has looked at epistemologies in different contexts and different domains, indicating that epistemologies do play a role in how people act in varying learning situations. This keynote addresses our latest findings in higher education, doctoral studies, and leadership training. We have identified epistemic profiles that appear to be domain-specific. Also epistemic growth and conceptual change are addressed.


Keynote Speaker

Prof. Kirsti Lonka (Educational Psychology, Faculty of Behavioural Sciences, University of Helsinki, Finland)

Kirsti Lonka is a professor of Educational Psychology at University of Helsinki, Finland (2005-). She currently serves as an associate editor in a renown international journal of Learning and Instruction. She is also a founding member of the Teachers’ Academy of University of Helsinki since 2013 and also the first President (2013-2014). She is the Director of Research Group of Educational Psychology and also the Principal Investigator of the Project “Mind the Gap–between digital natives and educational practices” (Funded by the Mind Program of Academy of Finland (2013-2106). She is a popular keynote speaker around the world. She has published numerous refereed articles, conference papers and book chapters. She has also published plenty of text books and popular writings. The languages of her publications are Finnish, English, and Swedish (also translated in Estonian and Spanish). Her specialties are higher education, medical education, teacher education, and postgraduate education (PhD students). In the area of academic writing, her work has focused around conceptions of writing, note taking, process writing, portfolios and writing across curriculum (writing as a learning tool). At the moment, she is working on innovations in higher education and engaging learning environments (ELE). She was the Vice Dean of Faculty of Behavioural Sciences (2011-2013). Before that, Kirsti Lonka was Foreign Adjunct Professor at the Department of LIME, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden 2007-2011. She was also J.H. Bijtel Visiting Professor, University of Groningen, The Netherlands (2007-2008). She was working as professor of medical education at the Department of LIME (Learning, Informatics. Management and Ethics), Karolinska Institutet in 2001-2005. In 1996-2001 she worked as the Director of Development and Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Finland. During that time the medical program became problem-based.