Exploring the effectiveness of an idea-centered design to foster a computer-supported knowledge building environment

This paper compares the effectiveness of two multimedia environments— Blackboard Learning SystemTM and Knowledge ForumTM—in terms of their underlying design approaches to support collaborative learning and knowledge work. The two design approaches are (1) a conventional theme-based approach, i.e., to center group collaboration and meaning interaction around themes, and (2) an idea-centered approach, i.e., to center group collaboration and meaning interaction around sustained idea exchange and improvement. Findings suggest that an idea-centered design approach seems more likely to construct an environment that fosters more dynamic group and meaning interactions, thus enabling more sustained collaborative learning and knowledge building.