A Learning Framework for Knowledge Building and Collective Wisdom Advancement

Gan, Y., & Zhu, Z. (2007). A Learning Framework for Knowledge Building and Collective Wisdom Advancement in Virtual Learning Communities. Educational Technology & Society, 10 (1), 206-226.

A Learning Framework for Knowledge Building and Collective Wisdom Advancement in Virtual Learning Communities
Yongcheng Gan
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1V6, Canada Tel: [phone] ext 2454 [e-mail]

Zhiting Zhu
Educational Information Network Center, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200062, China Tel: [phone] [e-mail] ABSTRACT
This study represents an effort to construct a learning framework for knowledge building and collective wisdom advancement in a virtual learning community (VLC) from the perspectives of system wholeness, intelligence wholeness and dynamics, learning models, and knowledge management. It also tries to construct the zone of proximal development (ZPD) of VLCs based on the combination of Vygotsky’s theory of zone of proximal development and the trajectories of knowledge building. The aim of a VLC built on the theories of constructivism, situated learning, and knowledge building, etc., is to apply individual intelligence to online learning, bring the advantages of collaborative learning and collective wisdom into play, solve difficult problems in independent learning, and lead to the integration and sublimation of collective wisdom through long-term individual interactions, collaborative learning and knowledge building.

Keywords
Collective wisdom, Knowledge building, Virtual learning community, Collective intelligence, Knowledge management

Introduction
Educational Challenge in a Knowledge Society The greatest challenge to education in a knowledge society is not how to effectively help learners to acquire a defined set of knowledge and skills, but in helping them to learn how to manage, work creatively with ideas and to contribute to the

References: Ahern, T. C., Peck, K., & Laycock, M. (1992). The effects of teacher discourse in computer-mediated discussion. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 8, 291-309. Anderson, D. K., & Reed, W. M. (1998). The Effects of Internet Instruction, Prior Computer Experience, and Learning Style on Teachers’ Internet Attitudes and Knowledge. Journal of Education Computing Research, 19 (3), 227-246. 222 Banathy, B. H. (1996). Designing social systems in a changing world, New York: Plenum Publishing. Barron, T. (2000). A Smarter Frankenstein: The Merging of e-Learning and Knowledge Management, retrieved December 20, 2006 from http://www.learningcircuits.org/aug2000/barron.html. Beinhauer, M. (2000). Collective Knowledge Management via Virtual Communities. In Han, J. & Smidova, H. (Eds.), The Modern Information Technology in the Innovation Processes of the Industrial Enterprises, Pilzen: University of West Bohemia, 40-46. Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (1996). Rethinking learning. In Olson, D. R. & Torrance, N. (Eds.), the handbook of education and human development: New models of learning, teaching and schooling, Cambridge, MA: Blackwell, 485-513. Bonabeau, E., Dorigo, M., & Theraulaz, G. (1999). Swarm intelligence: From natural to artificial systems, New York: Oxford University Press. Brown, R. E., (2001). The process of community-building in distance learning classes. Journal of Asynchronous Learning Network, 5 (2), 18-34. Carr, A. A., Jonassen, D. H., Litzinger, M. E., & Marra, R. M. (1998). Good Ideas to Foment Educational Revolution: The Role of Systematic Change in Advancing Situated Learning, Constructivism, and Feminist Pedagogy. Educational Technology, January-February, 5-14. Charlton, J. P., & Birkett, P. E. (1999). An Integrative Model of Factors Related to Computing Course Performance. Journal of Education Computing Research, 20 (3), 237-257. Cropley, D. (2004). A knowledge management approach to change management in systems-of-systems. In D. Wright (Ed.), Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual International Symposium of the International Council on Systems Engineering, Toulouse, France, 1-11. Daniel T. (2006). Application of a Systems Approach to Distance Education. In Proceedings of the 50th Annual Meeting of the ISSS, California: Sonoma State University, July 9-14, 2006. Galbreath, J. (2000). Knowledge Management Technology in Education: An Overview. Educational Technology, 40 (5), 28-33. Gan, Y. C. (2003a). Internet Collaborative Learning and the Application of CSCL. Distance Education in China, 1, 54-57. Gan, Y. C. (2003b). Technologies for Personal Knowledge Management in e-Learning. China Educational Technology, 6, 20-24. Gan, Y. C. (2005). Knowledge Building and Collective Wisdom Advancement in Virtual learning Communities: Perspective on the Integration of Knowledge Management and e-Learning, Beijing, China: China Educational Science Publishing House. Gan, Y. C., & Wang, W. (2005). Analysis and Study on the Multiple Implications of Virtual Learning Community Strategies Based on Social Constructivism. Modern Distance Education Study, 5, 10-16. Gan, Y. C., & Tao, Z. (2006). Virtual Learning Community, e-Learning and Knowledge Management. e-Education Research, 1, 18-22. Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of Mind: the theory of Multiple Intelligences, New York: Basic Books. 223 Hakkarainen, K., Lonka, K., & Paavola, S. (2004). Networked Intelligence: How Can Human Intelligence Be Augmented Through Artifacts, Communities, and Networks? retrieved December 7, 2006 from http://www.lime.ki.se/uploads/images/517/Hakkarainen_Lonka_Paavola.pdf. Harasim, L. M. (1990). Online education: An environment for collaboration and intellectual amplification. In Harasim, L. (Ed.), Online education: Perspectives on a new environment, New York: Praeger, 39-64. Harung, H. S., & Harung, L. M. (1995). Enhancing organizational performance by strengthening diversity and unity. The Learning Organization, 2 (3), 9-9. Heylighen, F., & Bollen, J. (1996). The World-Wide Web as a Super-Brain: from metaphor to model. In Trappl, R. (Ed.), Cybernetics and Systems’96, Austrian Society for Cybernetics, 917-922. Heylighen, F. (1999). Collective Intelligence and its Implementation on the Web: algorithms to develop a collective mental map. Computational and Mathematical Theory of Organizations, 5 (3), 253-280. Heylighen, F., Heath, M., & Van Overwalle, F. (2004): The Emergence of Distributed Cognition: a conceptual framework. In Proceedings of Collective Intentionality IV, Siena, Italy, retrieved December 16, 2006, from http://pespmc1.vub.ac.be/Papers/Distr.CognitionFramework.pdf. Hughes, M., & Daykin, N. (2002). Towards Constructivism: Investigating Students? Perceptions and Learning as a Result of Using an Online Environment. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 39 (3), 217-223. Jansen, W., Hooven, H. M. van de, Steenbakkers, G. C. A., & Jägers, H. P. M., (2002). The Added Value of Elearning. Informing Science and IT Education, Cork, Ireland, 2002, 1-14, retrieved December 25, 2006 from http://proceedings.informingscience.org/IS2002Proceedings/papers/Janse124Added.pdf. Johnson, D. W., Johnson, R. T., & Holubec, E. J. (1993). Cooperation in the Classroom (6th Ed.), Edina, MN: Interaction Book Company. Kim, K., Isenhour, P. L., Carroll, J. M., Rosson, M. B., & Dunlap, D. R., (2003). TeacherBridge: Knowledge Management in Communities of Practice. In Proceedings of the IFIP TC9 WG9.3, International Conference on Home Oriented Informatics and Telematics, 2003, Irvine, California. Kuhn, O., & Abecker, A. (1997). Corporate Memories for Knowledge Management in Industrial Practice: Prospects and Challenges. Journal of Universal Computer Science, 3 (8), 929-954. Lamon, M., Reeve, R., & Scardamalia, M. (2001). Mapping Learning and the Growth of Knowledge in a Knowledge Building Community. Paper presented at American Educational Research Association Meeting 2001. Seattle, Washington, retrieved December 7, 2006, from http://kf.oise.utoronto.ca/lamon/mapping.html. Lave, J., & Wenger E. (1991). Situated Learning: Legitimate Peripheral Participation, New York: Cambridge University Press. Law, N., & Wong, E. (2003). Developmental trajectory in knowledge building: An investigation. In Wasson, B., Ludvigsen, S., & Hoppe, U. (Eds.), Designing for Changes, Dordrecht: Kluwer Academic Publishers, 57-66. Lévy, P. (1997). Collective Intelligence: Mankind’s Emerging World in Cyberspace, New York: Plenum Trade. Lévy, P. (2004). Online Definitions of Collective Intelligence, retrieved December 9, 2006, from http://www.community-intelligence.com/blogs/public/archives/000288.html. Marshall, B., Zhang, Y., Chen, H., Lally, A. M., Shen, R., Fox, E., & Cassel, L. N. (2003). Convergence of Knowledge Management and e-Learning: the GetSmart Experience. In Proceedings of the 3rd ACM/IEEE-CS Joint Conference on Digital Libraries, Houston, Texas, 135-146, retrieved December 16, 2006, from http://ai.bpa.arizona.edu/go/intranet/Publication/JCDL-2003-Marshall.pdf. 224 Nellen, T., (1999). Education and community: the Collective Wisdom of Teachers, Parents and Community Members, retrieved December 21, 2006, from http://www.firstmonday.org/issues/issue4_2/nellen/index.html. Nonaka, I., & Takeuchi, H. (1995). The knowledge-Creating Company, New York: Oxford University Press. Nonaka, I., & Konno, N. (1998). The concept of ‘ba’: Building foundation for knowledge creation. California Management Review, 40 (3), 40-54. Oliver, R., & Herrington, J. (2000). Using situated learning as a design strategy for Web-based learning. In Abbey, B. (Ed.), Instructional and cognitive impacts of we-based education, Hershey, PA: Idea Group Publishing, 178-191. O’Neil, H. F., Chuang, S., & Chung, G. K. W. K. (2003). Issues in the computer-based assessment of collaborative problem solving. Assessment in Education, 10, 361-373. Pór, G. (1995). The Quest for Collective Intelligence. In Gozdz, K. (Ed.), Community Building: Renewing Spirit and Learning in Business, San Francisco, CA: New Leaders Press, retrieved December 9, 2006, from http://www.visionnest.com/cbw/Quest.html. Rasmussen, K. L., & Davidson, G. (1998). Hypermedia and Learning Styles: Can Performance Be Influenced? Journal of Educational Multimedia and Hypermedia, 7 (4), 291-308. Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (1996). Computer support for knowledge-building communities. In Koschmann, T. (Ed.), CSCL: Theory and practice of an emerging paradigm, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum, 249-268. Scardamalia, M. (2002). Collective cognitive responsibility for the advancement of knowledge. In Smith, B. (Ed.), Liberal education in a knowledge society, Chicago: Open Court, 67-98. Scardamalia, M., & Bereiter, C. (2003a). Knowledge Building. In Guthrie, J. W. (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Education (2nd Ed.), New York: Macmillan Reference, 1370-1373. Bereiter, C., & Scardamalia, M. (2003b). Learning to work creatively with knowledge. In Corte, E. De, Verschaffel, L., Entwistle, N., & van Merriënboer, J. (Eds.), Powerful learning environments. Unraveling basic components and dimensions. Oxford, UK: Elsevier Science. Shedroff, N. (2001). An overview of understanding. In Wurman, R. S. (Ed.), Information anxiety 2, Indianapolis, IN: Que, 27-29. Senge, P. M. (1990). The Fifth Discipline: the art and practice of the learning organization, New York: Doubleday. Seufert, S. (2002). Design and management of online learning communities. European Academy of Management Conference, Stockholm, retrieved December 10, 2006, from http://www.sses.com/public/events/euram/complete_tracks/management_education/seufert.pdf. Smith, J. (1994). Collective Intelligence in Computer-Based Collaboration, Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Smits, M., & Moor, A. D. (2004). Measuring Knowledge Management Effectiveness in Communities of Practice. Paper presented at the 37th Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences (HICSS '04), January 5-8, 2004, Big Island, Hawaii. Stahl, G. (1999). WebGuide: Guiding collaborative learning on the web with perspectives. Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada, retrieved December 15, 2006, from http://www.cis.drexel.edu/faculty/gerry/publications/conferences/1999/aera99/. 225 Susi, T., & Ziemke, T. (2001). Social Cognition, Artefacts, and Stigmergy: A Comparative Analysis of Theoretical Frameworks for the Understanding of Artefact-mediated Collaborative Activity. Cognitive Systems Research, 2 (4), 273-290. Tolmie, A., & Boyle, J. (2000). Factors Influencing the Success of Computer Mediated Communication (CMC) Environments in University Teaching: a Review and Case Study. Computer & Education, 34, 119-140. Ubon, A. N., & Kimble, C. (2002). Knowledge Management in Online Distance Education. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference Networked Learning 2002, University of Sheffield, UK, March 2002, 465-473, retrieved December 5, 2006, from http://www.cs.york.ac.uk/mis/docs/km_in_olde.pdf. van den Akker, J. (1999). Principles and methods of development research. In van den Akker, J. Nieveen, N. Branch, R. M. Gustafson, K. L., & Plomp, T. (Eds.), Design methodology and developmental research in education and training, Amsterdam: Kluwer Academic, 1-14. Vasilyeva, E., Pechenizkiy, M., & Puuronen, S. (2005). Knowledge Management Challenges in Web-Based Adaptive e-Learning Systems. In Proceedings of 5th International Conference on Knowledge Management, retrieved December 25, 2006, from http://i-know.know-center.tugraz.at/content/download/387/1538/file/Vasilyeva_paper.pdf. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in society, Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wang, L., Li, P., & Liu, W. (2001). Probe into the relationship between learners’ personal factors and distance education. e-Education research, 6, 28-32. Wang, L., Yang, H., & Liu, W. (2002). Research into the correlation between learners’ characteristics and Computermediated Communication. e-Education research, 1, 24-28. Watanabe, T. (2001). Knowledge Management Architecture of Integrated Education Support. In Uskov, V. (Ed.), Proceedings of Computers and Advanced Technology in Education, Calgary, Canada: IASTED, 1138-1141. Willard, V. B. (1981). Information Networks. Future Life, 12, 34-38. Wilson, E. V. (2000). Student Characteristics and Computer-mediated Communication. Computer & Education, 34 (2), 67-76. Wu, G. (2001). Curriculum conception and reform in the network age. World Education Review, 1, 26-29. Zhu, Z. T. (1996). Cross-Cultural Portability of Educational Software: A Communication-Oriented Approach, Enschede: University of Twente. Zhu, Z. T., & Zhong, Z. X. (2003). Modern educational technology: Foster the development of multiple intelligences, Shanghai, China: East China Normal University Publishing Press. 226