Research On Knowledge-building & Collective Intelligence In Virtual Learning Community

This dissertation focuses on researches into knowledge-building and collective intelligence in the virtual learning community (VLC). Though it has been over a dozen of years since the emergence of VLCs, systematic researches around VLCs and on collective intelligence are rarely found in literatures. Based on a comprehensive study of current literatures, this dissertation put forward a series of principles and basic frameworks of building VLC for effectively guiding the collaborative knowledge-building and the development of collective intelligence, on the basis of learning theories (i.e. constructivism, situated learning, etc), and perspective on the integration of knowledge management (KM) and e-Leaming, through the methodology of combining the practices of VLC and probing into the basic rules and problems currently existed in VLC. Meantime, the dissertation revealed and constructed the theoretical framework and learning model for facilitating the advance of collective intelligence, also described the main characteristics of collaborative knowledge-building and traced the trajectory of convergence of collective intelligence, and verified them through case studies and field studies. All these works set a solid base for theoretical study and laid a foundation for future work.The main contents of dissertation are included as follows: (1) The evolutionary history and characteristics of virtual community (VC) and VLC: After a brief introduction to the history of community, VC and VLC, this dissertation discussed the features of VC and made a classification of VCs, followed by an examination of the core properties of VLC and current states of academic researches. (2) The concept of collective intelligence and the learning theories applied in VLC: First the qualities of wisdom and collective intelligence are explored from the points of view of evolutional levels from data, information, knowledge to wisdom; then the central ideas of several learning theories applied in VLC and their principles applied for building VLC are reviewed. (3) KM, e-Learning and VLC: The importance of KMapplications in VLC is stressed by presenting its applications in distance education on the basis of Nonaka's SECI model and framework of KM followed by a discussion of e-Learning with respect to its features, system framework and applications, which lead to the establishment of an integrated architecture representing the convergence of KM and e-Learning. (4) The theoretical framework and learning model for facilitating the advance of collective intelligence: Based on KM and e-Learning, and on the dimensions of unity and diversity of the members of VLC, the dissertation constructed the theoretical framework for facilitating the development of collective intelligence, then analyzed the essential factors needed for supporting the convergence of collective intelligence from multiple dimensions. (5) Research on the processes of collaborative learning and knowledge-building: Investigated into a detailed analysis of the processes of collaborative learning and collaborative knowledge-building, emphasizing on the several evolving processes of gradual convergence of collective intelligence in VLC. (6) The case study of collaborative knowledge-building: Proposed the macro level and micro level of analysis, and examined the processes of knowledge-building through the methods of content analysis and information flow analysis, later summed up the rules of interactions and collaboration. Lastly, pointed out the current existent problems and provided the solutions and some suggestions for future work.In conclusion, the dissertation represents an effort to research on the processes of knowledge-building and advance of collective intelligence in VLC by reviewing the literatures regarding researches in relevant fields, and based on modem learning theories, through constructing the theoretical framework and learning model for supporting the development of collective intelligence and methodology of system analysis and case study applied for analyzing the proc...