Automatic detection of accommodation steps as an indicator of knowledge maturing

Jointly working on shared digital artifacts – such as wikis – is a well-tried method of developing knowledge collectively within a group or organization. Our assumption is that such knowledge maturing is an accommodation process that can be measured by taking the writing process itself into account. This paper describes the development of a tool that detects accommodation automatically with the help of machine learning algorithms. We applied a software framework for task detection to the automatic identification of accommodation processes within a wiki. To set up the learning algorithms and test its performance, we conducted an empirical study, in which participants had to contribute to a wiki and, at the same time, identify their own tasks. Two domain experts evaluated the participants’ micro-tasks with regard to accommodation. We then applied an ontology-based task detection approach that identified accommodation with a rate of 79.12%. The potential use of our tool for measuring knowledge maturing online is discussed

Educational framework for adoption of vocabulary based on Wikipedia linkage and spaced learning

We propose a new educational framework supporting learners in adoption of vocabularyand knowledge for various personalized and engaging pedagogic purposes. The most essentialconcepts of learning topic are linked based on the shortest connecting paths in hyperlink networkof Wikipedia encyclopedia assisted with Wiktionary dictionary. In resulting pedagogic conceptualnetwork learner traverses links along learning path generated by method in sequential processhaving tailored variation and repetition computed based on theory of spaced learning. The learningpath is shown to learner as sequence of compact relation statements extracted from sentencessurrounding hyperlinks in Wikipedia articles, supplied with set of visualizations based on mainverb identified in them. Based on framework we have implemented prototype tool and promisingexperiments in educational setting indicated valuable support for adoption of new knowledge.Peer reviewe

Student Wiki Pages: Online collaboration in a networked environment

This chapter is concerned with student collaboration and ‘peer-support’ pedagogy as facilitated by online learning environments. Specifically the chapter discusses the use of wiki tools as part of the e-learning strategy in a first year BA (Hons) Communication and Media unit at Bournemouth University. The pedagogical aim here is to assess students’ ability to work effectively in a computer-mediated environment by applying interpersonal communication skills taught in the unit, whilst fostering a professional engagement with the unit’s theoretical foundation and facilitating student-centred learning. The Student Wiki Pages is an educational strategy that encourages students to develop active learning, media literacy and scholarship at the start of their degree programmes, providing a solid underpinning for their future studies. Collaboratively producing a wiki means students have to be self-reflexive and critically evaluate their own notes from lectures and set readings on a weekly basis. Drawing on evidence from 2010/2011, the chapter will demonstrate how the Student Wiki Pages helped inspire students’ commitment to learning by analysing five core areas where student performance improved. Practical complexities of assessing collaborative learning will be evaluated, together with a discussion on how to manage student expectations in relation to grading and feedback

Assessing context-based learning: Not only rigorous but also relevant

Economic factors are driving significant change in higher education. There is increasing responsiveness to market demand for vocational courses and a growing appreciation of the importance of procedural (tacit) knowledge to service the needs of the Knowledge Economy; the skills in demand are information analysis, collaborative working and 'just-in-time learning'. New pedagogical methods go some way to accommodate these skills, situating learning in context and employing information and communications technology to present realistic simulations and facilitate collaborative exchange. However, what have so far proved resistant to change are the practices of assessment. This paper endorses the case for a scholarship of assessment and proposes the development of technology-supported tools and techniques to assess context-based learning. It also recommends a fundamental rethink of the norm-referenced and summative assessment of propositional knowledge as the principal criterion for student success in universities

A New Approach for Collaborative Knowledge Management: A Unified Conceptual Model for Collaborative Knowledg Management

With the advancement of new communication and virtualization technologies, various tools and models have been proposed for enabling effective management of the e-collaboration processes related to the creation, sharing, and presentation of collective knowledge. In the theoretical perspective, two significant aspects of collaborative knowledge management have been considered: (a) the internal processes of collaborative knowledge creation and sharing, which occur not only within the individual knowledge workers but also among them (collaboration); (b) the effective design of human-computer interfaces facilitating the internal processes, by providing functionalities for the knowledge workers to comprehend, conceptualize, and cooperate in knowledge creation and sharing through e-collaboration processes, including the effective presentation of the generated knowledge on the website. At the present time, although there exist several studies in the related areas, there is no unique conceptual model that can be applied toward assessing both the interface layer and the internal processes of collaborative knowledge creation and sharing in distributed ICT-based work contexts. This gap has been a great motivation for us to propose a conceptual model, namely the Unified Collaborative Knowledge Management (UCKM) model, which can be used to design and evaluate the overall knowledge management process, including the underlying sub-processes, the presentation of knowledge, and the human-computer interfaces

Building Collaborative Capacities in Learners: The M/cyclopedia Project Revisited

In this paper we trace the evolution of a project using a wiki-based learning environment in a tertiary education setting. The project has the pedagogical goal of building learners’ capacities to work effectively in the networked, collaborative, creative environments of the knowledge economy. The paper explores the four key characteristics of a ‘produsage’ environment and identifies four strategic capacities that need to be developed in learners to be effective ‘produsers’ (user-producers). A case study is presented of our experiences with the subject New Media Technologies, run at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. This progress report updates our observations made at the 2005 WikiSym conference