knowledgebuilding

Knowledge building is a collaborative process in which participants collectively generate, refine, and sustain a growing body of knowledge. It treats knowledge as something that emerges from sustained inquiry and discourse, rather than a fixed product transmitted from expert to learner. Originating in educational research by Scardamalia and Bereiter in the 1980s and 1990s, knowledge building emphasizes the social organization of learning and the creation of knowledge artifacts—ideas, models, notes, and designs—that the community continually improves.

Key features include long-term inquiry around a shared knowledge goal, and epistemic agency, where participants contribute, challenge, and revise ideas. The community strives to advance high-quality ideas through critique and collaboration, not just the reproduction of established content. Artifacts document the evolving reasoning and serve as a public record of idea improvement. Authority is distributed, with norms that support open dialogue, evidence-based argument, and the transformation of ideas into shared understanding. Collaborative technologies—such as wikis, forums, and other digital workspaces—often enable collection, organization, and reflection on knowledge artifacts.

Knowledge building is used in classrooms, higher education, and professional settings to foster critical thinking, problem solving, and innovation. Research investigates how practices influence the rate and quality of idea improvement and how assessment can reflect participation in knowledge-building processes. Effective implementation requires time, supportive culture, and persistent commitment to collaborative inquiry.