Ulrike Cress, Joachim Kimmerle (2008)
A systematic and cognitive view on collaborative knowledge building with wikis
Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning, 3, 105-122
Aim
(Stahl, G(2002) Contributions to a theoretical framework for CSCL. In Stahl (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Education(pp. 62-71). USA: Boulder - for the relevance of artefacts in CSCL)
p107 ‘ wikis potential for collaborative learning lies in theor ability to allow for debate-based learning experiences’
P106 ‘ the systematic analysis of the potential of wikis as tools for knowledge building’
Question
“What makes wikis supportive of learning and knowledge building’ ( deliberately avoids discussing shortcomings)
The question presupposes that a person’s individual knowledge can serve as a resource for other people’s learning. ( Scardamelia & Bereiter, 1994)
Approach
Systematic (KRO ? systems) ‘ the differential modes of operation in social and cognitive systems
Cognitive :
Social systems ( e.g. wiki)
thinks in terms of learning (internal) and knowledge building (external). Makes a distinction between internal (learning) and knowledge building (external).
See wikis as a social system.
attributes motivation to the perception of incongruities although acknowledges that motivational aspects are intrinsically linked to the cognitive and the socio-cultural, in particular, the cognitive and socio-cognitive processes can help to explain the motivational processes.
Influences
Luhmann, 1984 on systems p108 ‘ systems are dynamic – they develop over time and consist of operations. A system ceases when the mode of operation ceases. Such operations are defined as production of elements with the help of elements in the same system. This definition implies that systems are autopoietic and self-referential.
The environment can irritate. ‘The system cannot anticipate what will happen in the environment……. But after being irritated, a system may be able to select a limited amount of information available outside its borders. By operating on this information it reduces external complexity, establishes new elements and relations, and this increases its internal complexity’
Systems
· Biological
· Cognitive
· Social
communication without cognitions. Luhmann points out that systems are operationally closed, …… social and cognitive systems cannot directly correspond with each other’ but they can influence each other based on the concept of structural coupling.
In terms of this paper
Cognitive system is the wiki user/contributor
Social system is the wiki
P109 ‘ Social systems are structurally coupled with cognitive systems via language’ ( KRO for a wiki this is written)
And that processes of internalisation and externalisation allow for a crossing of the borders between internalisation and externalisation.
Externalisation
The user needs to be able to transfer internal knowledge to the wiki. After this process of externalisation the wiki exists independently from the person’ knowledge. In order to externalise the user has to deepen and clarify own knowledge (Flower and Hayes (1980) as well as Webb (1982). Therefore the process of externalisation leads to learning for the individual
Internalisation
If people internalise information from the wiki knowledge can develop which was formerly neither part of their personal knowledge nor part of the wiki’ i.e. p112 ‘ if people are able to infer new knowledge out of the knowledge they internalized through the work with the wiki and the knowledge they had before then leaning has occurred’ i.e.emergent knowledge.
Authors argue that this process of internalisation and externalisation’ is more than knowledge sharing’ it is built and if externalised to the wiki it is represented within the wiki
How do people internalise
Piagetian concepts - assimilation, accommodation and equilibrium
Assimilation - the way a person ‘understands new information on the basis of existing knowledge and then integrates it into prior knowledge’ i.e. the bits of information that fit with existing knowledge are added
Accomodation ‘people interact with new knowledge in a way that changes their knowledge’
When using a wiki assimilation and accommodation take place in the social systems ( the wiki)
Majchrzak, A., Wagner, C., & Yates, D. (2006) Corporate wiki users: results of a survey. Proceddings of WikiSym’06 -2006 International Symposium on Wikis 2006, 99-104.’ That there are ‘adders’ and ‘synthesisers’
Learning and knowledge building considered together
Internal assimilation
Internal accommodation
External assimilation
External accommodation
Motivational aspects of the model
Piaget – idea of equilibration
Luhmann – idea of irritation from outside a system
The effects of a lack of equilibration ( Piaget) or irritation ( system) depends on the valence of the topic. Figure on p118
KRO As with stress) there is an optimal level of incongruity. ( KRO too little incongruity and its not worth bothering about, too much incongruity and users give up) For any levels of incongruity between these extremes the cognitive conflict is higher more meaningful the topic.
(KRO remember this is a proposition that is not evidenced)
Collaboration and interaction
(KRO makes one think about what constitutes interaction here, - there is interaction with the knowledge but to what extent is there interaction with others)
Collaboration p211 “ Inter-individual knowledge transfer and collaborative knowledge building takes place when people have the opportunity to work with a wiki and internalize the information available in the wiki’ i.e. they have to integrate it ( either by assimilation or accommodation) into their own knowledge’
