Leveraging Wiki Technology Support for Threaded Discussion to Facilitate Online Collaborative Knowledge Construction

• In Event: Poster Session 15
  In Poster Session: Technology, Instruction, Cognition and Learning SIG Poster Session: Issues in Technology, Instruction, Cognition, and Learning

Abstract

Abstract: Threaded discussion is widely employed as a medium for collaborative discourse in online/blended courses. Despite its tremendous promise, threaded discussion is often associated with problems such as lack of coherence and lack of convergence due to its expanding, tree nature. In this work, we leverage wiki technology support for threaded discussion to facilitate synthesis of individual ideas into collective summaries, in an effort to provide adequate support for online collaborative knowledge construction. Preliminary results from the analysis of student interactions are promising, suggesting that this technology setting encourages diversity and synthesis of ideas and can facilitate online collaborative knowledge construction.

Authors

• Andri Ioannou, Cyprus University of Technology

• Agni Stylianou-Georgiou, University of Nicosia