Distinguishing knowledge-sharing, knowledge-construction, and knowledge-creation discourses

van Aalst, Jan

The next five main codes-Ideas, Questions, Information, Links, and Agency-are based on research into a wide variety of cognitively oriented inquiry approaches (Chan 2001; Hakkarainen 2003; Hakkarainen et al. 2002; Hmelo-Silver 2004; Kolodner et al. 2003; Linn et al. 2003) . This body of work has shown that a focus on explanation is more likely to lead to knowledge advancement than answering fact-seeking questions (Hakkarainen 2003) . The Idea code captures the ways in which students contribute to and work on ideas (e.g., opinions, conjectures, and explanations), with its focus on the nature of those ideas. In contrast, the Information code focuses on the extent to which students interpret or evaluate the information they introduce. The Agency code is intended to describe the ways in which students selfregulate their inquiries; the subcodes emphasize planning and reflection relating to logistics and the epistemic features of their inquiries. In terms of these codes, we would expect informationsharing discourse to be characterized by fact-seeking questions and limited evidence of ideation, interpretation of information, synthesis, and planning and reflection. In contrast, both knowledge construction and knowledge creation would be characterized by stronger evidence in these areas, with minor differences between the two modes of discourse. For example, although rise-above should occur in knowledge construction, it should occur more often in knowledge creation, which takes place over a longer period and has greater need for synthesis. The final main code, Meta-Discourse, describes a level of discourse beyond maintaining social relations and building understanding, and relates to the existence of long-range goals in a knowledge-creation community. Scardamalia and Bereiter (2006) suggest that this feature is lacking in most online discussions. Examples of meta-discourse would be reviews of the state of knowledge in the community, work aimed at helping new insights diffuse through the community, making arguments for a new phase of inquiry, and establishing more difficult goals over time. Although evidence of meta-discourse may not be strong in an inquiry of 8 weeks, there should be some examples.