Democratizing design: new challenges and opportunities for computer-supported collaborative learning

The fundamental challenge for the next generation of Computer-Supported Collaborative Learning (CSCL) systems is to contribute to the invention, fostering and support of cultures of participation in which humans can express themselves and engage in personally meaningful activities. New models for knowledge creation, accumulation, and sharing are needed that allow, encourage, and support all participants to be active contributors in personally meaningful activities. In our research, we have explored and contrasted two different models: MODEL-AUTHORITATIVE (based on strong input filters, relatively small information repositories, and weak output filters) and MODEL-DEMOCRATIC (based on weak input filters, large and diverse information repositories, and strong output filters to find relevant and reliable information). We postulate that MODEL-DEMOCRATIC democratizes design, requires support for meta-design, and fosters social creativity thereby creating new challenges and opportunities for computer-supported collaborative learning. Examples from different lifelong learning settings based on MODEL-DEMOCRATIC are described and analyzed and some general findings are derived and discussed.