Knowledge Building: Theory, Pedagogy, And Technology - Literature review Example

Download file to see previous pages This view of knowledge as a community or civilizational activity rather than a highly scholarly activity (limited to a few brilliant minds) leads to the conclusion that knowledge can be created in class rooms (Scardamala and Bereiter, 2006, p.4). As cited by Scardamalia and Bereiter (2006), there have been many instances of the new vision and new dimensions of knowledge emerging once the use of Internet was introduced into the class rooms. There have also been instances when students contributed new insights and improvements to knowledge (Scardamalia and Bereter, 2006). Improvement of existing knowledge rather than arriving at ultimate truth becomes the key to this new paradigm (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2006, p.5).
This theoretical model has also put practical know how above the traditional text book knowledge and placed "knowledge of" model above the traditional "knowledge about" model (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2006, p.9). It is the text book knowledge that imparts an individual, the knowledge about something but it is through sheer practicing that knowledge of something is acquired, according to Scardamalia and Bereiter (2006, p.9). For example, the Internet and similar interactive platforms provide the students access not only to the geographical information about a place but also its pictures, videos, realistic and three-dimensional google maps, sociocultural information, and even access to the people of that locality and the people who have studied that locality. This is the essence of the “knowledge of” model (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2006, p.11). Further, the enhancement of the “knowledge of” learning system is envisaged through “problem-solving” rather than theorising and application of reason (Scardamalia and Bereiter, 2006, p.11). Discourse, especially involving collaboration between many parties, has been viewed as the pathway to achieve all these (Scardamala and Bereiter, 2006, p.11). The process of “self-regulated learning” has to go hand in hand with this collaborative discourse because apart from oneself, and to a limited extent, the teacher, no other authority looks over this knowledge-making process (Scardamala and Bereiter, 2006, p.16). What started as Computer Supported Intentional Learning Environments, in universities, and gradually evolved into concepts like “Knowledge Forum,” can be viewed as a practical situation where this model is ...Download file to see next pagesRead More