In this article Donald Philip describes Knowledge Building, a pedagogy based on the way research organizations function. The global economy, Philip argues, is driving a shift from older, industrial models to the model of the business as a learning organization. The cognitive patterns of today’s Net Generation students, formed by lifetime exposure to interactive media, may prepare them for the heterogeneous, distributed systems that characterize tomorrow's learning organizations, but they do need to learn the processes of innovation, creativity, and collaboration that these organizations will value. Knowledge Building, which engages students in building knowledge about a given question in an open, collaborative environment, provides one model for teaching these vital skills. In the knowledge-building paradigm, students form research groups through their interactions with one another and with an online learning environment called Knowledge Forum as they work on problems of understanding. This model, Philip argues, will prepare students for the distributed, collaborative work environments of learning organizations that value creativity and innovation.

Read More..