Using a Collaborative Database to Enhance Students’ Knowledge Construction

This study focuses on academic online course in collaborative database learning environment and examines the conditions for effectiveness of collective and individual knowledge construction in this environment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether learners with a collaborative learning orientation differ from learners with an individual learning orientation, as was measured through their contribution to the process of knowledge construction in a collaborative online database environment. The results of the study showed differential achievements among learners with different learning orientations. The learners with collaborative learning orientation succeeded more in the collective criteria of knowledge construction compared to the less collaborative ones. On the other hand, the less collaborative participants within the forum gained higher scores in the personal criteria of knowledge construction compared to the collaborative ones. While the ‘collaborative learners’ contributed more collective knowledge, the ‘individual learners’ focused on constructing their own personal knowledge. These findings have important implications on planning, coordinating and evaluating collaborative learning environment.