Rainer Kuhlen Department for Computer and Information Science University Konstanz - Germany

1. This file is published under the following Creative-Commons-Lizenz: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/de/ K3 – an e-Learning Forum with Elaborated Discourse Functions for Collaborative Knowledge Management Rainer Kuhlen Department for Computer and Information Science University Konstanz - Germany www.kuhlen.name

5. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visuali- zation Evaluation

6. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Architecture Software

7. K3 architecture

8. Web Browser HTML (+ SVG) (+ SVG-Plugin) Servlets, JSP, Apache Tomcat Java Beans + Jakarta Struts JBoss Application- Enterprise Java Beans Application Server Server Datenbank- (O)RDBMS PostgreSQL Server K3 system architecture on the basis of J2EE(Java 2 enterprise edition) Scalable vector graphics Client Open Source JavaServer Pages Web-Server Open Source Open Source Hybrid Object/Relational

9. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization K3 system Evaluation

10. K3 • K3 (German acronym for communication, collaboration, competence) is a knowledge management system in learning environments for higher level academic teaching. • K3 is based on the assumption that knowledge production is to a large extent the result of communication processes.

11. Basic assumption of the K3 project Assumption: Learning can be especially effective and motivating, if different people share their knowledge and are committed to argumentation and negotiation to work out common results and producing new knowledge (collaborative knowledge construction).

12. Objectives K3 as a tool for collaborative work in virtual groups Objectives • to let virtual groups (and in them, of course, individual learners) produce content and acquire knowledge in the special course domain • to acquire information and communication competence

13. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Didactics

14. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Didactics • Blended learning Mixture of constructivism and instructionalism

15. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Didactics • Blended learning - didactic mix • Virtual group work • Individual work • Classic lectures • Class room discussion • Video conference presentations

16. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Didactics • Combination of constructivism and instructionalism • Course description • Main topics • Work assignments • Works tasks • Reference objects • Feedback (evaluation) • Discourse • Roles • Reference objects • Summaries • Presentation

17. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Didactics constructivism • Learners construct a new reality of knowledge rather than internalizing images of the world

18. Functions of constructivism • Cognitive: Learning produces sustainable results when external information or the requirements of a task can be embedded in already existing cognitive structure, be it as confirmation, modification or contradiction of the learner’s existing knowledge Motivation: The learning process will be better accepted and will lead to permanent (sustainable) knowledge when learning can be experienced as the result of one’s own activity, not as a mere adaptation to the knowledge of other people Social construction: Understanding, knowledge acquisition and production is to a great extent socially constructed, based on collaborative knowledge-sharing interaction with others.

19. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses Communication competence 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Information competence Didactics - roles • Moderator • Presentator • Summarizer • Researcher

20. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Courses

21. K3 Courses since 1994 Joined course Univ.Konstanz – Univ. Genf technical course Joined course Univ. Konstanz – Univ. Berlin discourse-oriented Joined course Univ, Konstanz – Univ. Zürich Joined course Univ.Konstanz – Univ. Berlin – Univ. Hildesheim Information ethics Information ethics

22. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Types of K3 courses K3 as a management tool for organizing courses K3 as a knowledge base for single courses and for the whole curriculum K3 as a tool for collaborative work in virtual groups

23. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation 5-level architecture

24. K3 5-level architecture (1) course (5) discourse objects (2) main topics (3) work assignments (5) discourse objects (4) specific tasks (5) discourse objects (5) discourse objects (6) reference objects bibl. references web links upload files summaries presentations

25. Course – level 1 Reference objects Information ethics Course description Objectives Target groups Didactics Language Main topics Discourse types

26. Main topics - level 2 (instructional mode) What is information ethics? K1 Privacy B1 Human rights B2 Knowledge ecology K2 Digital divide KB3 Who owns knowledge?

27. Main topics - level 2 (instructional mode) Reference objects Work assignments Main topic K1 Privacy in electronic environments

28. Work assignments - level 3 Work tasks Filter: discourse type Filter:roles Filter: date Filter:user What is information privacy? Beginning/end of group work Assigned roles for work assignment Evaluation for group work - by course instructor Work assigment description

29. Work tasks - level 4 Results: Summaries presentation Work task „Privacay – data traces“ discourse

30. Work tasks - level 4 Discourse for works task „privacydata traces“

31. Work tasks - level 4 discourse object role: rechercheur discourse type: addendum reference objects hyperlinks literature

32. Discourse objects – level 5 (1) role specification (M=moderator; P= presentator; S= summarizer (2) Discourse type (Kritik=criticism; These= thesis; Frage=question; Ergänzung=addendum;... (3) new contribution, so far unread Fig.4 K3 discourse with discourse objects – in the thread paradigm

33. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation Visualization

34. Visualization of discourse structure K3VIS – display of a specific discourse object according to the discourse type „question“ (F) K3VIS – visualization of a specific work task discourse subset of this specific work task discourse – displayed in detail in the left window Fig.5

35. K3 architecture system Didactics Courses Evaluation 5-level architecture Visualization Evaluation

36. Operating figures for a work assignment Distribution of comments according discourse types Numbers of reference objects Comments according to roles

37. Degree of collaboration for a special work assignment interaction participation independance Degree of participation PmGn = n(commentsPm / n(commentGn)

38. Evaluation and feedback by the students Main result: Students judged their learning success as high to very high. Didactics • Variation and combination of teaching methods raises motivation and improves learning success • Especially group work is judged as raising motivation and facilitating learning success • Blended learning is clearly considered the most attractive learning environment ---- but: • Classic lecturing is seen as an important part of the course • Virtual (group) learning cannot/should not replace F2F communication

39. Evaluation and feedback • Instructionalistic components (work assignments, work tasks) are extremely important both for orientation and group work success • Asymmetric levels of competence are considered positive for group work learning • Mixture of evaluation procedures (group work, roles, summaries, presentations, individual work) clearly raises motivation and level of participation • Progressional rating improves motivation and raising learning success

40. Thank you for your attention