Fostering collaborative knowledge construction with visualization tools

This study investigates to what extent collaborative knowledge construction can be fostered by providing students with visualization tools as structural support. Thirty-two students of Educational Psychology took part in the study. The students were subdivided into dyads and asked to solve a case problem of their learning domain under one of two conditions: 1) with content-specific visualization 2) with content-unspecific visualization. Results show that by being provided with a content-specific visualization tool, both the process and the outcome of the cooperative effort improved. More specifically, dyads under that condition referred to more adequate concepts, risked more conflicts, and were more successful in integrating prior knowledge into the collaborative solution. Moreover, those learning partners had a more similar individual learning outcome

Facilitating argumentative knowledge construction with computer-supported collaboration scripts

Online discussions provide opportunities for learners to engage in argumentative debate, but learners rarely formulate well-grounded arguments or benefit individually from participating in online discussions. Learners often do not explicitly warrant their arguments and fail to construct counterarguments (incomplete formal argumentation structure), which is hypothesized to impede individual knowledge acquisition. Computer-supported scripts have been found to support learners during online discussions. Such scripts can support specific discourse activities, such as the construction of single arguments, by supporting learners in explicitly warranting their claims or in constructing specific argumentation sequences, e.g., argument–counterargument sequences, during online discussions. Participation in argumentative discourse is seen to promote both knowledge on argumentation and domain-specific knowledge. However, there have been few empirical investigations regarding the extent to which computer-supported collaboration scripts can foster the formal quality of argumentation and thereby facilitate the individual acquisition of knowledge. One hundred and twenty (120) students of Educational Science participated in the study with a 2×2-factorial design (with vs. without script for the construction of single arguments and with vs. without script for the construction of argumentation sequences) and were randomly divided into groups of three. Results indicated that the collaboration scripts could improve the formal quality of single arguments and the formal quality of argumentation sequences in online discussions. Scripts also facilitated the acquisition of knowledge on argumentation, without affecting the acquisition of domainspecific knowledge

Survey of tools for collaborative knowledge construction and sharing

The fast growth and spread of Web 2.0 environments have demonstrated the great willingness of general Web users to contribute and share various type of content and information. Many very successful web sites currently exist which thrive on the wisdom of the crowd, where web users in general are the sole data providers and curators. The Semantic Web calls for knowledge to be semantically represented using ontologies to allow for better access and sharing of data. However, constructing ontologies collaboratively is not well supported by most existing ontology and knowledge-base editing tools. This has resulted in the recent emergence of a new range of collaborative ontology construction tools with the aim of integrating some Web 2.0 features into the process of structured knowledge construction. This paper provides a survey of the start of the art of these tools, and highlights their significant features and capabilities

The CKC Challenge: Exploring Tools for Collaborative Knowledge Construction

The great success of Web 2.0 is mainly fuelled by an infrastructure that allows web users to create, share, tag, and connect content and knowledge easily. The tools for developing structured knowledge in this manner have started to appear as well. However, there are few, if any, user studies that are aimed at understanding what users expect from such tools, what works and what doesn't. We organized the Collaborative Knowledge Construction (CKC) Challenge to assess the state of the art for the tools that support collaborative processes for creation of various forms of structured knowledge. The goal of the Challenge was to get users to try out different tools and to learn what users expect from such tools /features that users need, features that they like or dislike. The Challenge task was to construct structured knowledge for a portal that would provide information about research. The Challenge design contained several incentives for users to participate. Forty-nine users registered for the Challenge; thirty three of them participated actively by using the tools. We collected extensive feedback from the users where they discussed their thoughts on all the tools that they tried. In this paper, we present the results of the Challenge, discuss the features that users expect from tools for collaborative knowledge constructions, the features on which Challenge participants disagreed, and the lessons that we learned

A framework to analyze argumentative knowledge construction in computer-supported collaborative learning

Computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) is often based on written argumentative discourse of learners, who discuss their perspectives on a problem with the goal to acquire knowledge. Lately, CSCL research focuses on the facilitation of specific processes of argumentative knowledge construction, e.g., with computer-supported collaboration scripts. In order to refine process-oriented instructional support, such as scripts, we need to measure the influence of scripts on specific processes of argumentative knowledge construction. In this article, we propose a multi-dimensional approach to analyze argumentative knowledge construction in CSCL from sampling and segmentation of the discourse corpora to the analysis of four process dimensions (participation, epistemic, argumentative, social mode)

Case-based analysis in user requirements modelling for knowledge construction

Context: Learning can be regarded as knowledge construction in which prior knowledge and experience serve as basis for the learners to expand their knowledge base. Such a process of knowledge construction has to take place continuously in order to enhance the learners’ competence in a competitive working environment. As the information consumers, the individual users demand personalised information provision which meets their own specific purposes, goals, and expectations. Objectives: The current methods in requirements engineering are capable of modelling the common user’s behaviour in the domain of knowledge construction. The users’ requirements can be represented as a case in the defined structure which can be reasoned to enable the requirements analysis. Such analysis needs to be enhanced so that personalised information provision can be tackled and modelled. However, there is a lack of suitable modelling methods to achieve this end. This paper presents a new ontological method for capturing individual user’s requirements and transforming the requirements onto personalised information provision specifications. Hence the right information can be provided to the right user for the right purpose. Method: An experiment was conducted based on the qualitative method. A medium size of group of users participated to validate the method and its techniques, i.e. articulates, maps, configures, and learning content. The results were used as the feedback for the improvement. Result: The research work has produced an ontology model with a set of techniques which support the functions for profiling user’s requirements, reasoning requirements patterns, generating workflow from norms, and formulating information provision specifications. Conclusion: The current requirements engineering approaches provide the methodical capability for developing solutions. Our research outcome, i.e. the ontology model with the techniques, can further enhance the RE approaches for modelling the individual user’s needs and discovering the user’s requirements

Effects of individual prior knowledge on collaborative knowledge construction and individual learning outcome in videoconferencing

This paper deals with collaborative knowledge construction in videoconferencing. The main issue is about how to predict individual learning outcome, in particular how far individual prior knowledge and the collaborative knowledge construction can influence individual learning outcomes. In this context, the influence of prior knowledge and two measures of instructional support, a collaboration script and a content scheme were analyzed concerning the collaborative knowledge construction. An empirical study was conducted with 159 university students as sample. Students learned collaboratively in groups of three in a case based learning environment in videoconferencing and were supported by the instructional support measures. Results show that collaborative knowledge construction had more impact on individual learning outcome than individual prior knowledge.Diese Studie beschäftigt sich mit der gemeinsamen Wissenskonstruktion in Videokonferenzen. Die Hauptfragestellung befasst sich mit Prädiktoren für den individuellen Lernerfolg, insbesondere inwieweit dieser vom individuellen Vorwissen der Lernenden und der gemeinsamen Wissenskonstruktion beeinflusst wird. In diesem Kontext wird analysiert, inwiefern das individuelle Vorwissen und zwei Unterstützungsmaßnahmen - Wissensschema und Kooperationsskript - Einfluss auf die gemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion nehmen. An der empirischen Studie nahmen 159 Universitätsstudierende teil. Diese lernten kooperativ in Dreiergruppen in einer fallbasierten Lernumgebung in Videokonferenzen und erhielten dabei instruktionale Unterstützung. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die gemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion einen größeren Einfluss auf die individuellen Lernerfolge hatte, als individuelles Vorwissen

Facilitating collaborative knowledge construction in computer-mediated learning with structuring tools

Collaborative knowledge construction in computer-mediated learning environments puts forward difficulties regarding what tasks learners work on and how learners interact with each other. For instance, learners who collaboratively construct knowledge in computer-mediated learning environments sometimes do not participate actively or engage in off-task talk. Computer-mediated learning environments can be endorsed with socio-cognitive structuring tools that structure the contents to be learned and suggest specific interactions for collaborative learners. In this article, two studies will be reported that applied content- and interaction-oriented structuring tools in computer-mediated learning environments based on electronic bulletin boards and videoconferencing technologies. In each study the factors "content-oriented structuring tool" and "interaction-oriented structuring tool" have been independently varied in a 2X2-factorial design. Results show that interaction-oriented structuring tools substantially foster the processes of collaborative knowledge construction as well as learning outcomes. The content-oriented structuring tools facilitate the processes of collaborative knowledge construction, but have no or negative effects on learning outcome. The findings will be discussed against the background of recent literatGemeinsame Wissenskonstruktion in computervermittelten Lernumgebungen birgt Schwierigkeiten in Bezug darauf, welche Aufgaben Lernende bearbeiten und wie sie dabei miteinander interagieren. Lernende, die gemeinsam Wissen in computervermittelten Lernumgebungen konstruieren, nehmen z. B. manchmal nicht aktiv an der Bearbeitung von Lernaufgaben teil oder beschäftigen sich mit inhaltsfremden Themen. Computervermittelte Lernumgebungen können mit Hilfe sozio-kognitiver Strukturierungswerkzeuge unterstützt werden, die die Lerninhalte vorstrukturieren und den Lernenden spezifische Interaktionen nahe legen. In diesem Beitrag werden zwei Studien berichtet, die inhalts- und interaktionsbezogene Strukturierungswerkzeuge in computervermittelten Lernumgebungen, die auf web-basierten Diskussionsforen und Videokonferenz-Technologien beruhen, zum Einsatz gebracht und analysiert haben. In jeder der Studien wurden die Faktoren "inhaltsbezogenes Strukturierungswerkzeug" und "interaktionsbezogenes Strukturierungswerkzeug" unabhängig voneinander in einem 2X2-Design variiert. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass interaktionsbezogene Strukturierungswerkzeuge die Prozesse sowie die Ergebnisse gemeinsamer Wissenskonstruktion substanziell fördern können. Die inhaltsbezogenen Strukturierungswerkzeuge unterstützen die Prozesse gemeinsamer Wissenskonstruktion, zeitigen aber keine oder negative Effekte auf die Lernergebnisse. Die Befunde werden vor dem Hintergrund aktueller theoretischer Ansätze diskut

Knowledge construction in physics

Titre de l'écran-titre (visionné le 6 mai 2009).Bibliogr.Adoption de l'approche par projet par un enseignant du collégial dans le cours Electricité et magnétisme: mise en relief du processus de construction des connaissances et description d'une démarche de planification du cours qui s'appuie sur des principes constructivistes; explication des cinq étapes de la démarche: identifier les contenus, déterminer la situation problème, expliciter le processus de résolution de problème, définir une trame conceptuelle et analyser les conceptions des élèves; considérations sur les implications de cette démarche pour l'enseignement

Embodied Knowledge Construction inWriting

Peer reviewedPublisher PD