From facts to theories: a case study

Stefania Cucchiara, University of Rome, & Beatrice Ligorio, University of Bari, Italy

Abstract

We live in a knowledge society that requires a continuous knowledge advancement as essential for social progress. Consequentially the primary task of education should be sustaining students in this knowledge-creating process.
Knowledge building, as defined by Bereiter and Scardamalia (2003), is the production and continual improvement of ideas of value to a community. The goal is the continuing process of idea creation, development and improvement to increase the cultural capital of a society. When applied to education, this method means directing students’ efforts toward ideas improvement in such a way that ideas will be available to the community in a form that allows discussing, interconnecting and revising them. In this way, students will be fully engaged in the process of knowledge creation. Within this approach relevant is the distinction between “Design Mode” and “Belief Mode” (Scardamalia & Bereiter, 2003), that is the difference between the way we deal with information and ideas. In “Belief Mode” we use informations as true beliefs. Education in schools is conducted almost completely in this mode. While, in “Design Mode” we use informations to support our creative knowledge work and the ideas are used as objects of creation, development, assembly into larger wholes, and application.
Internet can play an important role in this process; can support the collaboration both at a distance and face to face and therefore may offer new opportunities for the whole knowledge building process.

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