David Hung

Personalised knowledge representations: the missing half of online discussions

In this paper, we highlight a concern with using online discussion for learning. We argue that there is a lack of technological support for the development of personalised knowledge representation for most online discussion forums. Analyses of existing discussion forums suggest that there is a range of collective knowledge representation mechanisms which support a group or a community of learners. However, such mechanisms may not necessarily lead to learners’ internalisation of collective knowledge into personalised knowledge. We discuss how internalisation can be facilitated through the notion of knowledge objects, while externalisation can be mediated by idea artefacts. These notions are translated into technological supports and suggestions of how online discussions can be designed differently from the common threaded discussion.

Engaged Learning: Making Learning an Authentic Experience

This chapter attempts to make sense of engaged learning. Approaches such as problem-based learning should be advocated because it is an authentic form of learning encouraging students to be self-regulated and thus metacognitive towards their own thinking and behaviors. Contrary to passive forms of instruction where learners are not perceived to be active and engaged, neither reflective, we are highlighting alternative pedagogies which promote this sense of self-regulatory actions. We describe the engaged learning framework — focusing on both problem and process — which would be necessary for authenticity in learning experiences.

Leveraging Online Communities in Fostering Adaptive Schools.

There has long been a call for schools to prepare students for the twenty-first century where skills and dispositions differ significantly from much of what has historically characterized formal education. The knowledge based economy calls for policy and pedagogical efforts that would transform schools. Schools are to foster communities of learners. This paper suggests that para-communities may be points of leverage in the fostering of adaptive schools. A critical analysis is done on the differences between para-communities (such as online communities) and schools; and an argument is made that they each serve differing goals and should be left distinct because they achieve different societal and economic demands.

“A prophet never accepted by their own town”: a teacher's learning trajectory when using technology

Although there are some success stories of technology integration in schools, it remains unclear in the literature how teachers become, and take on the identity of, exemplary users of technology in classrooms. Using concepts from cultural sociology, this article examines how an experienced elementary school teacher in Singapore, Cassie, accounted for her difficult learning journey and becoming an expert technology user. From interview data, we highlight the major milestones in Cassies trajectory of learning and explain how structural factors at the policy, district and classroom levels afforded and constrained Cassies learning and how she, in turn, slowly changed her pedagogy incorporating technology. We conclude by discussing issues of teacher learning and identity by way of contrasting against a more traditional view of teacher education and from the case example of Cassie, we further explicate the dialectics of teacher agents vis‐à‐vis the structure of teaching and education.

Education in the Knowledge Age — Engaging Learners Through Knowledge Building

In this Knowledge Age or innovation-driven age, knowledge is a key asset for a society to create value. The health and wealth of societies depend increasingly on the capacity of people to innovate (Scardamalia & Bereiter, in press 2002). Since schools are responsible for preparing the young for the future they have to be models of innovation, where teachers and students are “willing to take new routes, try different methods, and occasionally break the mould” (Shanmugaratnam, 2003). Too often, however, we find classroom pedagogies varying between two extremes: didactic knowledge transmission where teachers are the “sage on the stage”, or constructivist approaches where students are actively engaged on activities. The former approach is often criticized for treating students as a passive party, assuming that knowledge can be transmitted and assimilated into the student’s mind. The latter approach, on the other hand, has the tendency to motivate students to complete tasks and activities, but not necessarily engaged with the knowledge creation process. In this chapter, we argue that we should engage our students directly in knowledge production, not so much of asking students to produce new knowledge or discoveries, but putting them into a development trajectory to be knowledge producers. Examples of knowledge building classrooms in Cananda and Singapore schools will be used to illustrate how we can engage students as knowledge producers, who take on ownership of learning by collaboratively and continually improve upon their initial ideas to better ideas, thus advancing collective knowledge within the community.

A Proposed Framework for the Design of a CMC Learning Environment: Facilitating the Emergence of Authenticity

This paper is an attempt to situate CSCL and CMS tools in the context of recent developments in constructivist learning environments (CLEs). The computer-mediated tools for collaboration are an integral part of the design of CLEs. In view of the situated nature of learning, a further distinction in the design of dynamic learning environments (DLEs) is considered and a formulation of learner involvement in the problem authenticity is proposed. The paper attempts to formulate design principles based on CLE and DLE conceptualizations. A prototype has not been developed at this stage of the conceptualizations. CMC tools can be an integrated part of the design of such learning environments and throughout the social construction of knowledge process. Proposition d’un plan pour élaborer un environnement d’apprentissage CMC (computer mediated communication) favorisant l’émergence de l’authenticité. Cet article cherche À situer les outils CSCL et CMS dans le contexte des développements récents dans les environnements d’apprentissage constructivistes (CLEs). Les outils fournis par l’ordinateur pour la collaboration sont une partie intégrale de l’élaboration des CLEs. Au vu de la nature de l’apprentissage, il faut considérer en plus une distinction dans l’élaboration des environnements d’enseignement dynamiques (DLEs) et on propose une formulation de l’implication de l’étudiant dans le problème de l’authenticité. L’article essaie de formuler des principes d’élaboration basés sur les conceptualisations CLE et DLE. Un prototype n’a pas encore été développpé À ce stade des conceptualisations. Les outils CMC peuvent être une partie intégrante de l’élaboration de tels environments pendant la construction sociale du processus de la connaissance. Ein vorgeschlagenes Richtlinienprogramm zur Gestaltung eines CMC Lernumfeldes: Wie lässt sich die Authentizität besser erkennen. Dieser Beitrag ist ein Versuch CSCL und CMS Werkzeuge im Rahmen der neuesten Entwicklung von Constructivist Learning Environments (CLEs) einzuordnen. Die Computer gestützten Programme, die der Zusammenarbeit dienen sind ein wichtiger Bestandteil bei der Programmierung von CLEs. Angesichts der vorgegebenen Lernweise ist eine weitere Unterscheidung bei der Gestaltung der Dynamic Learning Environments (DLEs) notwendig und deshalb wird eine Mitwirkung des Lernenden bei dem Problem der Authentizität vorgeschlagen. Der Beitrag versucht Richtlinien zu erarbeiten, die auf den Konzepten von CLE und DLE beruhen. Ein Prototyp ist in diesem Entwicklungsstadium noch nicht hergestellt. CMC tools kann eine wichtige Rolle bei der Entwicklung solcher learning environments beim gemeinsamen Aufbau des Wissenstandes spielen.

Educational design as a quest for congruence: The need for alternative learning design tools

There is a common predicament faced by educational designers, that is, the lack of learning design tools for nontraditional pedagogies of learning. Because of this lack of alternatives, educational designers often use traditional design tools (such as task analysis) in contexts where nontraditional learning activities (such as collaborative projects) are desired. Because the learning goals of objectivist and alternative epistemologies differ, the designed instructional/learning activities do not match the original goals or desired learning outcomes. It is argued that learning design should be understood of as a quest for congruence between learning epistemologies and designs. This paper proposes an analytical framework to help identify the congruence or lack thereof of a learning design. The framework consists of: (1) the employed epistemology and desired learning outcome, (2) focus of analysis, (3) focus of design and (4) the design process. It is hoped that this framework will provide a lever for developing design tools that are more congruent with alternative pedagogies.

Online Learning Communities in K-12 Settings

This review aims to clarify the concept and boundary of research on online learning communities, identify the major trends of research, and suggest pertinent issues for future research. Four online learning communities, namely, Knowledge Building communities, Quest Atlantis, Virtual Math Team, and Web-based Inquiry Science Environment were reviewed. We compare and contrast the design principles and characteristics of these learning environments along cognitive, social, and technological dimensions. Potential implementation and research issues were discussed, including the contradictions with traditional school cultures and practices, the issues of authenticity versus simulation approach in schools, the cognitive and socio-emotional outcomes of online learning communities, and the possibilities and impact of advances in technologies.

Digital storytelling and the nature of knowledge

While storytelling pedagogy presents novel perspectives and affordances to educators, a fundamental question that bears attention is the match between storytelling pedagogy and the nature of knowledge. Quite simply, the problem may be posed thus: is storytelling the optimum means for teaching all forms of knowledge? While rather obvious matches occur for knowledge in the social science, humanities, languages and literacy education, would storytelling pedagogy ‘work’ for the natural sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics classrooms? If so, what may be optimum means to integrate storytelling instruction in these latter kinds of classrooms? In this study, we report on the results of an implementation of digital storytelling in a grade five science classroom. Using what we termed the ‘edu-tainment’ approach, we asked students to design a digital story that communicated a scientific concept embedded within the narrative structure—characters within the narrative would experience the effects of the concept, the quality of the story being proxy indicators of students’ understanding of the scientific concept. We propose that this pedagogical strategy presents a strong challenge to discern students’ understanding, and we also discuss the effect of knowledge forms on the success of this pedagogy.

IT and Educational Policy in the Asia-Pacific Region

The Asian-Pacific region includes not only a large area but many contrasts in the countries involved. Countries that can be classified as advanced in their IT policies (Australia, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong China, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Singapore) differ from those with evolving policies (India, People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand) and both differ widely from the less-developed countries in the region such as the Pacific Island states. Key issues relate to infrastructure provision and the need for native-language instructional materials. Also, outside of the Republic of Korea and Australia there are few comprehensive schemes for monitoring or evaluating educational IT policy. Public-private partnerships including those with regional and international aid agencies have an important role in implementing IT in education in the region. IT policy issues in education in the region are illustrated by brief country studies from Sri Lanka and Singapore.