Crowdsourcing and Education with Relation to the Knowledge Economy

Abstract

Crowdsourcing in the development and use of educational materials involves Web 2.0 tools to leverage collaboration and produce materials from user groups and stakeholders. Such a community-based design, sometimes called a participatory design, can help capture, refine, carry out, systematize or evaluate aspects of online learning materials. Here the use of crowdsourcing is discussed in educational assessments. This paper presents new evidence on how examinees respond to use of crowdsourcing. It shows how a “modify” option in the content can lead to the generation of new materials, and new knowledge, through tapping into the wisdom of the group.