Enhancing students` understanding of what ideas are for knowledge building

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of knowledge building activities on college students` understanding of the concept of `idea`. Participants were 41 undergraduates. Data came from a pre-post survey with open-ended questions that asked students to define what idea is and why it is important, etc. Findings indicate that engaging in knowledge building was likely to enhance students` understanding of ideas as what Bereiter (1994) called `conceptual artifacts` or what Popper (1972) called `World 3` objects that have a social life of their own and their continual improvement leads to knowledge advancement. © ISLS.