Knowledge Building in Online Environments: Constraining and Enabling Collective Intelligence

Abstract

This chapter describes two conceptual frameworks for the analysis of online knowledge building: outsideness and developing adaptive expertise. The affordances of the metaphor of outsideness are outlined in relation to the construction of knowledge through the sharing and exploration of personal and cultural perspectives, asking questions to resolve doubt, and as a driver of purposeful academic conversation. Developing expertise is examined through the identification of the knowledge and skills for idea generation and evaluation in online environments, and optimal engagement in these learning contexts. A case study is provided of higher education students from three countries working together using a wiki to construct knowledge about teaching and learning. The authors present these two frameworks in order to increase understanding of the knowledge and skills needed by students in higher education to engage with the affordances of collective intelligence systems.