This lab examines the origins of emergent new knowledge in large groups. Our focus is on scenarios in which people interact using a shared artifact. Such shared artefacts may consist of texts which were written and edited by different users (such as wikis), virtual environments in which users are visualized by and interact through avatars (virtual proxies), or community platforms for information exchange and networking purposes. Using such artifacts not only makes information from the group available to individuals, but individual users may also influence and modify the artifact. This turns the group of these individual users into a social system, in which they interact with each other in a specific way. The lab focuses on those cognitive, motivational and social processes that influence interaction between individuals and the artifact and support knowledge construction. Our framework of reference is the co-evolution model by Cress & Kimmerle (2008), which regards learning by individuals and knowledge construction within the social system as a co-evolution, which makes processes of knowledge externalization and internalization possible.

These projects may be allocated to two areas of research, depending on the context in which knowledge construction is studied: Informal learning and knowledge exchange through the Internet and Knowledge construction in formal educational contexts and working environments.

Informal learning and knowledge exchange through the Internet

This area of research examines the interplay between collective and individual processes of knowledge construction in contexts in which users form online communities, based on their own interests, and work on shared artifacts. Examples of these are the Wikipedia, social networks and Internet forums. The focus of this area of research is on cognitive, motivational and social processes of knowledge construction, both in field and laboratory studies.

Knowledge construction in formal educational contexts and working environments

This area of research builds on the results of the other one, combining those projects in which knowledge construction is part of a formal and organisational educational context: organisations, higher education, or schools. As far as organisations are concerned, the question of our research is to what extent Web 2.0 technologies can really improve the transfer and construction of practical organisational knowledge (understood as a combination of knowing facts, processes and procedures), bearing in mind that frequently in such contexts those forms of knowledge are relevant which are not of a declarative nature, but refer to some real activity, and are implicit. So some of our projects are concerned with building and passing on relevant knowledge-in-use. The generation and sharing of knowledge-in-use requires reflexion of working practices. Thus, our projects are concerned with how individuals and teams can be systematically supported in their reflection processes. The project e-teaching.org is addressed to universities. We developed and maintain a web portal with information on media-supported academic teaching, presented in such a practical way that academic staff will find it useful for their own teaching. Our projects in the school context are carried out in close cooperation with the group of Prof. Dr. Hans-Christoph Nürk at the Psychological Institute of the University of Tuebingen. These projects address the development of basic numerical and mathematical competencies.