Research On Online Collaborative Learning Environment For Knowledge Building

Knowledge building refers to the process where multiple learners collaboratively generate and develop knowledge through social interaction.However,online collaborative learning often encounters limitations in achieving high levels of knowledge building.Research reviews have identified that one of the primary reasons is the lack of a suitable online learning environment to support collaborative knowledge building.Thus,this study focuses on online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building,posing the core research question: How can the optimization of learning environments promote high-level knowledge building among online learners?The study begins by employing grounded theory and three-level coding on relevant literature to clarify the theoretical model of an online collaborative learning environment oriented towards knowledge building.This model is not merely a framework for a learning platform but an integrated organic system,comprising four subsystems: learning context,learning community,learning activities,and learning analytics.Its central aim is to provide comprehensive support to learners,ensuring the achievement and continuous development of high-level knowledge building.The learning context emphasizes knowledge based on reality,roles to be played,contexts conducive to transfer,engaging scenarios,and simulated presentations;the learning community includes the digital teaching capabilities of teachers,individual characteristics of learners,community consciousness,organizational forms of the learning community,and community interaction tools;learning activities cover learning goals,collaborative scripts,learning resources,learning scaffolds,and the learning platform;and finally,learning analytics focuses on multimodal learning data mining,precise academic prediction models,dynamic visual supervision feedback,support for personalized teaching decisions,and data security and ethics.Despite the significant breakthrough presented by the theoretical model,existing linear descriptions are inadequate to elucidate how the elements within the model interact synergistically to promote high-level knowledge building.To address this,the study employs Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory(DEMATEL)and Interpretive Structural Modeling(ISM)methods to deepen the understanding of the interaction mechanisms among the model’s internal elements.The research finds that learners’ individual traits are key factors driving advanced knowledge building in online learning environments;engaging learning environments are most easily influenced by other factors;teachers’ digital teaching capabilities are seen as foundational;and collaborative scripts are critical driving elements.The four subsystems are closely linked: the learning context is the foundation,the learning community is the carrier,learning activities are the core,and learning analytics ensure support.Based on these findings,the study constructs an analytical framework for online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building,considering the four dimensions of learning context,learning community,learning activities,and learning analytics.Moreover,in the field of online education,the design and functionality of various online learning platforms play a crucial role in the learners’ experience and effectiveness,raising fundamental considerations about whether current platforms can meet the needs of collaborative knowledge building.Using the developed analytical framework as an evaluation tool,the study analyzes mainstream platforms such as Knowledge Forum(KF),UMU,Class IN,Coursera,VLand Metaverse,and Tencent Meeting,aiming to understand their strengths and limitations in constructing collaborative knowledge building environments.The results indicate that although there are differences in how these online learning platforms support collaborative knowledge building environments,they have the potential to integrate and optimize resources to create a learning environment closely aligned with the collaborative knowledge building theoretical model.In light of this,the study proposes a design scheme for online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building,covering the aspects of learning context,learning community,learning activities,and learning analytics.This scheme is not only instructive for online education practices but also provides guidance for software companies developing integrated,cohesive online collaborative environments for knowledge building.Through the design scheme for online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building,the study further employs a design-based research paradigm to validate the implementation effects of such environments.It conducts one-year-long educational implementations in both basic and higher education settings.In each round of implementation verification,the study not only validates the model but also reflects on and iterates the theoretical model and design scheme,continuously improving the strategies for constructing online collaborative learning environments for knowledge building.At the learning context level,it suggests combining metaverse and virtual reality technologies with real-world problems,using strategies like role-playing to enrich the contextual experience;in the learning community aspect,it recommends leveraging shared construction technology and integrating heterogeneous grouping,inter-group exchange,and random selection strategies to deepen community interaction;at the learning activities level,it advises centering on learning goals,designing collaborative scripts to guide activity processes,and focusing on open-source learning resources and learning scaffolds;and at the learning analytics level,it suggests integrating emotional and interaction data for multimodal collection,and using automatic recommendation strategies to enhance the learning experience.In summary,the study focuses on online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building,exploring how environmental optimization can enhance high-level collaborative knowledge building among online learners.Through constructing a theoretical model,defining an analytical framework,proposing a design scheme,and verifying application effectiveness,the results show that online collaborative learning environments oriented towards knowledge building can effectively facilitate learners’ online collaborative learning and significantly enhance their knowledge building levels.