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

van Aalst, Jan

As a social practice, knowledge sharing is an accomplishment, especially in competitive environments; people are not naturally inclined to share what they know unless doing so is likely to enhance their own social position. The management literature indicates that knowledge-sharing practices can make organizations more effective, but they need to be cultivated (Lencioni 2002) . In a community engaged in collaborative inquiry, knowledgesharing practices involve the introduction of information and ideas without paying extensive attention to their interpretation, evaluation, and development. The perceived lack of a need for interpretation and evaluation can be related to naïve realism, an epistemic position according to which data speak for themselves (Science Council of Canada 1984) . A related epistemic belief is "quick learning," which has been linked to overconfidence in knowledge (Schommer 1990 ). The ideas shared are not modified by the sharing interaction (Bereiter and Scardamalia 1987; Pea 1994) , and knowledge sharing is not reflective.