Digital media, technologies and scholarship: Some shapes of eResearch in educational inquiry

Abstract

This paper discusses some recent developments in digital media, research technologies and scholarly practices that are known under the umbrella term of "eResearch". Drawing on conceptual ideas of digital materialism, epistemic artefacts and epistemic tools, this paper discusses how the digital inscription of knowledge and knowing could change the nature of knowledge work in educational research and inquiry. This paper argues that eResearch challenges the conventional divide between "monological" and "dialogical" research practices and provides opportunities to create "trialogical" ways of inquiry. These trialogical practices involve not only the collaborative development of answers to research questions, but also require explicit attention and development of new digital epistemic infrastructures - digital resources, software and conceptual tools and social structures. Our limited understanding about educational knowledge building practices is one of the major challenges for further advancement of educational research. © 2010 Australian Association for Research in Education.