Collaborative Knowledge Construction Research Articles

Your body tells how you engage in collaboration: Machine‐detected body movements as indicators of engagement in collaborative math knowledge building

AbstractCollaborative learning, driven by knowledge co‐construction and meaning negotiation, is a pivotal aspect of educational contexts. While gesture's importance in conveying shared meaning is recognized, its role in collaborative group settings remains understudied. This gap hinders accurate and equitable assessment and instruction, particularly for linguistically diverse students. Advancements in multimodal learning analytics, leveraging sensor technologies, offer innovative solutions for capturing and analysing body movements. This study employs these novel approaches to demonstrate how learners' machine‐detected body movements during the learning process relate to their verbal and nonverbal contributions to the co‐construction of embodied math knowledge. These findings substantiate the feasibility of utilizing learners' machine‐detected body movements as a valid indicator for inferring their engagement with the collaborative knowledge construction process. In addition, we empirically validate that these inferred different levels of learner engagement indeed impact the desired learning outcomes of the intervention. This study contributes to our scientific understanding of multimodal approaches to knowledge expression and assessment in learning, teaching, and collaboration.Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic Previous research emphasizes the importance of gestures as essential tools for constructing common ground and reflecting shared meaning‐making in learning and teaching contexts. The prior studies in multimodal learning analytics (MMLA) suggest that certain forms of body movements and postures can be differentiated based on the automatic detection of upper body joint locations. Empirical observations indicate that co‐thought gestures typically involve smaller hand or arms movement that are closer to the gesturer's body than co‐speech gestures used in interpersonal communication. What this paper adds This paper fills the research gap by examining the use of gestures in collaborative learning, offering insights into how individuals contribute verbally and nonverbally to collaborative knowledge construction. This paper introduces the concept of using machine‐detected body movements as a viable proxy for inferring learners' engagement in collaborative knowledge‐building activities. Leverages sensor technologies for automatic detection of body movements, the innovative approach in this work seeks to overcome the time‐intensive and laborious process of manually coding gestures. Implications for practice and/or policy By recognizing the potential significance of learners' body movements in indicating engagement levels with collaborative knowledge‐building activities, instructors can set up computer‐supported collaborative learning (CSCL) environments to enable capturing these movements. Given the crucial role of gestures in learning, teaching, and collaboration, educators can create more equitable formative assessment practices for linguistically diverse students by developing strategies that align with multimodal forms of knowledge expression. Research can expand beyond mathematics to explore the transferability of these findings to other subjects, helping educators create comprehensive pedagogical approaches that leverage multimodal interactions across disciplines.

“Ideas are really…” – supporting collaborative dialogues and community of practice for innovation via CO:RE cards

AbstractThe study explores the affordances of CO:RE Cards in prompting collaborative dialogues surrounding R&D and innovation among creative industry practitioners. The use of CO:RE Cards was evaluated in three sessions within a collaborative dialogue environment. It was analysed that they have prompted the building of a collective language and understanding among creative practitioners through collaborative knowledge construction and mutual learning. We discuss the potentially significant role of CO:RE Cards in nurturing a Community of Practice (CoP) for innovation in the creative industries.

Enhance adult students' online knowledge construction: Exploring effective instructional designs and addressing barriers

AbstractBackground StudyAsynchronous online discussions are vital venues for collaborative knowledge construction. However, the lack of appropriate instruction designs poses challenges in promoting deep and substantive engagement with the core subject matter. This paper explores how to enhance adult students' knowledge construction in the context of asynchronous online discussions at an open university in Taiwan.ObjectivesThis study explores instructional designs aimed at promoting online knowledge construction among adult students and overcoming barriers to this process.MethodsThis study used a convergent parallel mixed methods design to collect concurrently both quantitative data from the students' online discussion postings for content analysis and qualitative data from the focus group and individual interviews, the online open‐ended questionnaire, and the instructor's observation logs for thematic analysis. Then the results were merged in the interpretation stage.Results and ConclusionThe research highlights the significance of instructional designs in influencing students' level of knowledge construction during online discussions. The findings suggest that instructional designs that provide teacher‐led interim summaries, pose Socratic questions, and incorporate problem‐solving projects can promote higher‐level knowledge construction. However, time constraints, cultural influences, and unfamiliarity with peers negatively affected higher‐order knowledge construction. To address these challenges, culturally responsive and technologically inclusive instructional designs that take into account the specific challenges faced by adult learners are proposed to enhance learning outcomes through active participation.LimitationThe study's limited sample size warrants further research with a larger and more diverse cohort to validate the effectiveness of the proposed instructional designs. Another limitation is the lack of a robust theoretical base for the instructional strategies presented by the current action‐research study. Further examination and broader exploration in online education are needed to prop up proposed pedagogical approaches.

Empowering collaborative knowledge construction through the implementation of a collaborative argument map tool

Collaborative knowledge construction has been used in higher education to support student groups' collaborative learning activities through students' exchange, negotiation, and reflection of perspectives through peer communications. To support this process, collaborative learning analytics tools have been designed to collect and analyze collaborative process and performance data with a goal to provide actionable feedback and improve learning quality. However, few tools have demonstrated the mechanism and details about how students develop their perspectives during the collaborative knowledge construction process in higher education. To fill this gap, this research proposed a tool named Collaborative Argument Map (CAM) that creatively visualized different types of perspectives students proposed from the individual, peer, and group levels. This tool was further implemented in a graduate-level course in online collaborative writing activities in China's higher education, with a goal to support students' knowledge construction with peers. The summative and process-oriented learning analytics approaches were conducted to reveal the effects of CAM on students' collaborative perceptions, processes, and final products. Results showed that most students made substantive use of the CAM tool and reported positive perceptions of the tool. Further examinations verified the tool's positive effects on improving the students' cognitive engagement levels and the quality of their final collaborative writing products. This research provided practical implications for future CLA tool design and instructional implications for using this type of tool in collaborative learning in higher education.

Not a passive learner but an active one: a focus on the efficacy of philosophy-based language instruction and its consequences on EFL learners’ critical thinking, engagement, and academic achievement

This study investigates the impact of Philosophy-Based Language Teaching (PBLT) on the critical thinking skills and learner engagement of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) students. A concurrent mixed-methods approach, including semi-structured interviews, document analysis, and academic achievement tests, was employed with an experimental group (EG) exposed to PBLT and a control group (CG) receiving traditional instruction. The results reveal a substantial positive effect of PBLT on the critical thinking abilities of EFL learners, as evidenced by thematic analyses of interviews and document content. Themes include heightened critical thinking awareness, collaborative knowledge construction, and increased learner engagement. Academic achievement tests further demonstrate significant improvement in the experimental group’s performance. A comparison with existing literature underscores the novelty of our mixed-methods approach. Implications for language teachers, materials developers, syllabus designers, and policy-makers are discussed, highlighting the potential of PBLT in cultivating critical thinking and learner engagement.

Effects of Different Leadership Styles on Cognitive Engagement in Online Collaborative Learning

The collaborative learning approach as a universal teaching strategy is widely used in online learning. It is proven that the group leader has an important impact on group collaborative knowledge construction in online collaborative learning (OCL). However, limited research is available on how leadership styles influence a group universal teaching strategy is widely used in online learning this study, the authors adopted lag sequential analysis, epistemic network analysis, and social network analysis to explore the influence of divergent and convergent leadership styles on cognitive engagement in OCL groups. Compared with convergent leadership, divergent leadership strengthened online collaborative cognitive engagement through significant organizer and manager roles, triggered high-quality cognitive behavior transformation within the group, and promoted the balanced development of learners' cognitive structure.

AR Portrait Painting in Dialogue with Woman, Life, Freedom

This paper introduces AR portrait painting in Dialogue, a novel arts-based research methodology that integrates Augmented Reality (AR) technology with portrait painting to effectively analyze and visualize data while fostering collaborative and democratic knowledge construction. The methodology leverages the interpretive, analytic, and performative potentials of AR portraiture to illuminate complex sociocultural contexts of the research. Central to this approach is the acknowledgment and valorization of diverse subjective interpretations, inviting researchers, participants, and viewers in the co-construction of knowledge through dialogue. The intersubjective and open-ended knowledge construction is particularly pertinent for investigating ongoing and intricate social and political issues. Furthermore, the multiplicity of subjective perspectives and diverse interpretations within the AR portrait painting methodology enhances the credibility, authenticity, and truthfulness of the generated knowledge. To exemplify the utility of this innovative methodology, a case study is presented that showcases how AR portrait painting in dialogue effectively represents and communicates the experiences of Maryam, an Immigrant woman, as a resident of transnational spaces. Finally, discussing the potential and challenges of employing the AR portrait painting methodology provides valuable insights for art educators seeking to integrate AR art into their pedagogical practices.

Teacher Scaffolding and Equity in Collaborative Knowledge Construction

This study examines teacher scaffolding and equity during collaborative small-group discussions in fifth-grade English language arts classrooms. Equity indicators analyzed include uptake, relational invitations, and conflicts for the floor (CFF). CFF indicates lower levels of participatory equity, while the others indicate higher relational equity. Three types of teacher scaffolding moves were included, and data were analyzed using statistical discourse analysis and repeated measures logistic regression. Teacher scaffolding was either negatively or not related to all equity indicators. Specifically, teacher scaffolding is associated with reduced indicators of relational equity, but also with reductions in CFF. The relationship with relational equity was stronger and more consistent than the relationship with CFF, suggesting that teachers’ largest influence on equity is on relational, rather than participatory, equity.

Development of A Learning Model for Blended Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Vocational Education

Vocational Education readies students for specific careers and industries. A robust learning approach is crucial to meet modern workforce demands and foster knowledge exchange. This article introduces the origination of a Learning Model for Blended Collaborative Knowledge Construction in Vocational Education. This model merges methods from blended learning with collaborative strategies for constructing knowledge, fuelling student engagement, skills acquisition, and shared knowledge creation. The research utilizes the Delphi method to accumulate convincing proof for learning models prioritizing blended collaboration in knowledge generation. The sample pool comprises 60 students spanning two Zigong Vocational Training Institute classes, gathered via selective sampling. Data collection involved pre and post-testing of the student’s performance in the experimental and control groups, reinforced by the satisfaction survey from the experimental group. Data analysis employed statistical tools like percentages, means, standard deviations, and the t-test for related samples. The study found that pretest scores and SPSS data analysis showed that the f-test significant value is .702, which exceeds .05. This implies that, under the assumption of equal variance, the mean equivalence t-test findings for the first row of data, as shown in the table above, show that the experimental class averages 81.02 and the control class 81.05. The experimental and control groups' pretest scores are not significantly different, as the computed p-value of .984 is larger than .05. Thus, teaching practice is reasonable. The experimental group's student satisfaction measure averaged 4.27, ranging from 4.10 to 4.43, indicating that students are content with their academics. The control group's student satisfaction measure averaged 2.87, ranging from 2.50 to 3.10, indicating low satisfaction with learning. Students in a vocational education setting were compared using a hybrid collaborative knowledge creation learning model, demonstrating its potential to enhance student satisfaction and outcomes.

Investigating the Knowledge Co-Construction Process in Homogeneous Ability Groups during Computational Lab Activities in Financial Mathematics

Inclusive computational practices are increasingly being employed to enrich knowledge and facilitate sensemaking in STEM education. Embedding computational activities in Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning environments can enhance students’ experiences. This study aimed to investigate the knowledge co-construction process within tailored student-led computational lab activities designed for a Computational Finance module. In particular, this study focused on the analysis of the effects of different lab practices and of group composition on knowledge co-construction. The groups designed for the lab activities were internally homogenous in terms of student ability. The sample consisted of 396 answers to a weekly survey filled out by all 50 of the undergraduate students who attended the module during the AY 2020/2021. The qualitative analysis relied on an adapted version of the Interaction Analysis Model designed by Gunawardena and colleagues for collaborative knowledge construction. Quantitative analyses were then conducted to study how the different lab practices and the composition of the groups affected the interaction. The findings revealed that, although the lower phases were the most prevalent, significant negotiations of meaning and discussions were activated, especially in tasks guiding towards sensemaking. Furthermore, the groups composed of lower-achieving students were the most engaged in negotiating and improving understanding as a result of the group interaction.

An integrated approach for knowledge extraction and analysis in collaborative knowledge construction

Collaborative knowledge construction (CKC) involved students’ sharing of information, improvement of ideas, and construction of collective knowledge. In this process, knowledge extraction and analysis can provide valuable insights into students’ knowledge capacities, depths, and levels in order to improve the CKC quality. However, existing studies tended to extract and analyze knowledge from a single perspective (e.g., the number of certain knowledge types and knowledge structures), which failed to demonstrate the complexity and dynamics of knowledge construction and advancement. To fill this gap, this research designed a series of computer-supported collaborative concept mapping (CSCCM) activities to facilitate students’ CKC process and then used an integrated approach (i.e., semantic knowledge analysis combined with learning analytics) to extract, analyze, and understand students’ knowledge characteristics and evolutionary trends. Results demonstrated that compared to the low-performing pairs, the high-performing pairs mainly discussed knowledge related to the course content, and their knowledge evolution trend was relatively stable. Based on the results, this research provided analytical implications to extract, analyze, and understand students’ knowledge and pedagogical implications to promote students’ knowledge construction and advancement.

Embedding Prompts to Facilitate Small Groups’ Computer-Supported Collaborative Concept Mapping

Collaborative knowledge construction (CKC) engages students work in small groups to complete specific tasks that are often open-ended, ill-structured, and beyond the knowledge and skills of the individual students in the group. Computer-supported collaborative concept mapping (CSCCM) with the support of prompts can be used to facilitate a high quality of CKC. However, previous empirical research showed complicated effects of prompts on the quality of CKC in the CSCCM environment. In this research, we developed a CSCCM platform customized with three CKC conditions (i.e., no prompt, agreement prompt, and disagreement prompt) to examine the effects of different prompts on CKC performance, process, and student perception. Results showed that the embedded disagreement prompt had the best effect on improving the quality of CKC among three conditions, regarding the peer interaction, cognitive engagement, behavioral contribution and group performance. Based on the results, this research provided theoretical implication related to transactivity, pedagogical strategy of considering advantages and disadvantages of agreement and disagreement prompts, as well as analytical implication of collecting and analyzing multi-source data with mixed methods for future research and practice.

Flexible, creative, constructive, and collaborative: the makings of an authentic science inquiry task

ABSTRACT To promote scientific literacy in school science, students need to learn key concepts in science, along with the nature of scientific knowledge and how it is generated. Ideally, this learning mirrors authentic scientific inquiry through student engagement in three key epistemic practices: flexibility and creativity, knowledge construction, and collaboration. This paper draws on findings from a larger research study investigating the implementation of a guided-inquiry multimodal approach to teaching science. It reports on a case study of three Australian Year 9 science students investigating sustainable design strategies for houses, as a summative task. Through a post-hoc analysis, this paper explores how, and to what extent, the task supported the epistemic practices of authentic scientific inquiry. To address these questions, the author developed and applied an Authentic Inquiry Framework (AIF) to analyse the students’ dialogue and interactions during this task. The findings reveal that the students applied a flexible and creative approach to addressing their inquiry questions, through their own experimental design and engagement in provisional and collaborative knowledge construction. To support their investigation, the students were also able to productively integrate disciplinary-specific tools and technologies.

The Wisdom of the Crowd is not a Forgone Conclusion. Effects of Self-Selection on (Collaborative) Knowledge Construction.

Web 2.0 has elevated the possibilities of collaboration to unprecedented levels. Therein lies great potential, as the aptly coined phenomenon "Wisdom of the Crowd" implies. When it comes to controversial topics, however, there is no safety in numbers alone. On the contrary, collaboration among only like-minded people may even exacerbate biases (e.g., Echo Chambers). Yet, it is human nature to seek out like-minded others. Consequently, the process of self-selection is crucial if the heterogeneity of opinions serves as a safeguard against undesirable effects of group processes (e.g., attitude polarization). Accordingly, online environments that invite more heterogeneous (vs. homogeneous) users should produce less biased content. We tested this hypothesis in a field study, comparing articles on the same 20 controversial topics from the online encyclopedias Conservapedia and RationalWiki with Wikipedia (and Britannica serving as a gold standard) and exploring the opinions of discussants in the three online encyclopedias. As expected, articles from Conservapedia and RationalWiki were significantly less balanced than articles from Wikipedia and Britannica. We replicated this finding in a lab study with 257 participants who self-selected to one of three online wikis (Vegan Love, Nutrition, Meat & Fish) and individually as well as collaboratively wrote an encyclopedia-like article about "Diets." As expected, Wikis with a specific focus (Vegan Love, Meat & Fish) predominantly attracted authors with a positive attitude toward this focus and, as a consequence, resulted in more biased content than in the Nutrition Wiki. Overall, our results suggest that crowds alone do not guarantee wisdom-self-selection is a crucial process that needs to be taken into account.

Facilitating cognitive presence in online professional doctoral education: implications for practice-based programs

ABSTRACT This study employs the Community of Inquiry (CoI) framework to examine strategies that foster cognitive presence in a specific discipline context – the professional education doctorate (EdD). The article presents the results of a qualitative inquiry revealing how a cohort of doctoral students (n = 15) developed cognitive presence in an online Practicum course that aimed to move students through the dissertation process. We analyse participants’ perceptions of how instructional strategies impacted their skills in conducting practitioner research and to what extent they were able to apply the new learnings to practice. The findings indicate that engaging students in an authentic, dissertation-focused pilot study, as well as regular discussions of progress with peers enhanced cognitive presence related to practitioner inquiry. Although teaching presence was key in building a community of inquiry, instructors need to also be purposeful in course design to develop cognitive presence to support students’ dissertation progress. The study underlines approaches for using CoI in online EdD education to design spaces for collaborative construction of knowledge, development of practitioner-research skills, and the application of solutions to problems of practice as key tenets of scholarly practitioner preparation.

Role of the interaction space in shaping innovation for sustainable agriculture: Empirical insights from African case studies

The challenges of climate change, food insecurity and land degradation have all led to a push for ‘scaling’ innovation for sustainable agriculture. For this purpose, international agricultural development projects often use farm trials or farmer field schools as a way for farmers to engage with technically-constructed knowledge and empirical evidence. However, the role of such trials in the socio-political construction of knowledge is often overlooked. This study conceptualises agricultural development interventions as taking place within an interaction space between researchers and farmers. Unpacking the processes and dynamics of the interaction space from four case studies across Malawi and mainland Tanzania, we present findings which evaluate: 1) how agricultural innovation takes place in the context of funded agricultural development projects, and 2) how space for technical and social knowledge construction can be opened up or closed down in these contexts.Results show that farm trials provide a basis for interaction, but that knowledge exchange in these contexts also require knowledge brokers for successful implementation and scaling. Both knowledge brokers, and the trials themselves shape social dynamics, often simultaneously facilitating social learning for some, but contributing to social exclusions for others. A strong connection was identified between the design of the interaction space and social dynamics evident within it, indicative of the close interconnection between the processes of socio-political and technical construction of knowledge. Key factors open or close the interaction space, such as the continuity of knowledge brokers and the complexity of technologies. Improving the effectiveness of innovation for sustainable agriculture, requires opening up the interaction space to enable more effective and sustained co-creation of technologies, social learning and the collaborative construction of shared knowledge.

Role of Positive and Negative Emotions in Collaborative Knowledge Construction

本研究の目的は，奈田他（2012）を踏まえ，ネガティブ感情を含め，感情が，如何に個の知識獲得を促すのかを検討することであった。そのため，実験参加者（小学3年生）が示した考えを前半は否定するものの，後半は賞賛していくNP条件，その逆のPN条件，終始賞賛するPP条件というように，感情の生起のさせ方が異なる3条件を設定し，奈田他（2012）と同様の手続きで実験を行った。その結果，PP条件，NP条件，PN条件の順で，知識獲得が促されやすくなることが判明した。加えて，やりとりにおける思考上の積極性を示す指標に関しても，PP条件が最も高く，やりとりを通した知識獲得においては，相手の考えを賞賛することで，個の中に自他の考えに対する柔軟な姿勢を作っていくことが重要であることが判明した。ただし，ネガティブ感情にも，自身の考えを振り返り，見直させる働きがあり，NP条件のように，こういった働きを強化していくことで，知識獲得をある程度は促すことができることも判明し，ポジティブ感情による知識獲得の促しとは異なった過程で，知識獲得が促される過程があることも明らかになった。

An Analytical Dashboard of Collaborative Activities for the Knowledge Building

AbstractKnowledge building (KB) is an educatioanl theory framework that shows interest in the benefits that the technology offers to teaching and evaluation. In this study, a dashboard that facilitates the reflective assessment of KB communities supported by the knowlege forum platform was evaluated. The design-based research study was conducted with 126 undergraduate students enrolled in an educational research course at the University of (Name, country). Using a survey methodology, data was collected on the students’ perception regarding epistemic collective agency, research skills, and dashboard assessment. The conclusions about the value of the dashboard are broken down into two axes. On the one hand, the students state that they are satisfied with the dashboard, although they indicate that there is room for improvement. On the other hand, according to the KB reflective assessment, the dahsboard provided students with educational experiences that have empowered them in the collaborative construction of knowledge and promoted the development of their specific educational research skills. Future technological improvements and implementations of the Knowledge Building are discussed.

Situated learning in CALL teacher preparation programs: an ecological perspective to student-teachers’ agency

This study draws on an ecological perspective on teacher agency to examine the role of the situated learning CALL environment in developing EFL student-teachers’ agency. The data were collected from eight student-teachers’ autobiographical narratives and the recoded class discussions. The deductive thematic analysis of the data showed that situated learning has a constructive role in developing the three dimensions of teacher agency, including iterational, practical-evaluative, and projective. The findings indicated that authentic context had various co-occurrences with teacher agency dimensions, showing the critical role of authentic context in developing student-teachers’ agency. Moreover, other situated learning components, including supplying authentic activities, having access to experts’ performances, developing multiple roles and perspectives, supporting collaborative construction of knowledge, promoting reflection, promoting articulation, and administrating coaching and scaffolding, had constructive roles in developing student-teachers’ agency. It is concluded that the components of the situated learning CALL environment can be beneficial to help student-teachers find an alternative context to practice their agency.

Making strides towards AI-supported regulation of learning in collaborative knowledge construction

Collaborative knowledge construction (CKC) requires individual group members to share information and resources, sustain the improvement of ideas through peer interactions, and the construction and development of collective knowledge at the group level. Investigations of this multi-level nature are of critical importance for developing AI-based regulation support systems for learners’ CKC. This paper proposes a framework using an integrated analytics approach (Hidden Markov Model combined with Lag sequential analysis and Frequent sequence mining) for analyzing multi-level characteristics of CKC at cognitive and regulative behaviour dimensions. The approach was applied to a process-oriented discourse dataset of groups working collaboratively on concept-mapping activities. The results showed that the suggested approach can reveal insights into the multi-level (i.e., regulation behaviours likely to start at the group level, move to the peer-level and occasionally to individual-level self-regulation) and the dynamic nature of CKC (i.e., CKC appears to start from a group-level regulation pattern to move to a cognitive behaviour pattern of perspective sharing at the individual and peer levels, going back to regulation at individual and peer-levels and most likely end with a cognitive behaviour pattern at the group level). The novel models presented here can be used to classify learner behaviours into CKC states, enabling personalized scaffolding opportunities based on detected patterns in future intelligent support systems.