Knowledge Forum®

Knowledge Forum ® is leading edge computer program to facilitate Collaborative Knowledge Building. It is designed so that it is intuitively easy to use both by children and adults. However it has many advanced features, which are possible to be learnt only when you have practiced it long time, have read the manual, or have been taught or consulted. Its basic structure is simple, and it leaves great opportunities for creative designing for better learning environments and for better collaborative knowledge building. A basic idea of Knowledge Forum may be gotten by visiting http://www.learn.motion.com .

Learning environments can be designed almost self-instructing by using Knowledge Forum® creatively. However it is probably best when used together with face-to-face sessions.

My first and still the most important Knowledge Forum® collaborative learning space is in OECD/ENSI/FINLAND - Environmental Education project, of which I am a research coordinator together with Counsellor Lea Houtsonen, PhD. I have cooperated also with Dr. Taina Kaivola in research using Knowledge Forum(R):

http://www.tukkk.fi/tutu/etieto/seminar3_02/kaivola_ahlberg.pdf
http://www.lhs.se/atee/proceedings/Mauri_Ahlberg_m.fl._RDC_17.doc



From here you may download Knowledge Forum ® Client program version 3.4.

Windows: Knowledge Forum ® Client for Win (KF_client_win_3_4.zip)

Macintosh: Knowledge Forum ® Client for Mac (KF_client_mac_3_4.zip)

References:

Åhlberg, M., Kaasinen, A., Kaivola, T. & Houtsonen, L. 2001c. Collaborative knowledge building to promote in-service teacher training in environmental education. Journal of Information Technology for Teacher Education 10(3), 227 - 238.

Bereiter, C. 2002. Education and Mind in the Knowledge Age. London: Lawrence Erlbaum.