Distance Education in Transition - Master of Distance Education ...

Pedagogical Consequences of the Transformation of Information and Knowledge
Acquisition of Knowledge Through Learning by Exploring and Discovering
Methods of learning by discovering (discovery methods) were described in the USA by
well-known learning psychologists (Bruner, 1966; Biggs, 1972; Gagné, 1965) in the
1960s and 1970s. Biggs differentiated between several types of learning by discovery,
including discovery in open, unplanned learning situations (impromptu discovery), "free
exploring learning ", "guided discovery" and "controlled discovery".
With on-line learning recourse to this model appears obvious for several reasons.
� The unimaginable scope of globally distributed information encourages students who
are interested in a given subject to make their own discoveries. Technological
provisions facilitate this very effectively: browsing, the links, the servers and online
services. Here, too, can be found graduated forms of exploration and discovery. For
example, browsing can take place in an open situation completely freely and without a
definite aim, but can also be carried out with a view to the student's own targets.
� Hypertext enables an additional form of exploration with navigation. There are
graduations here as well. The paths chosen can be selected freely, but can also be
guided or even controlled, by either not setting any links or by fixing any number
of appropriate links. This has developed into the "guided tour" in an unknown field
of knowledge.
� Simulations enable exploration in the framework of complex representations of
systems or processes. New knowledge can be generated by entering defined values.
� Real experiments can take place in virtual spaces.
Acquisition of Knowledge Through Construction
This model is preferred at present by a growing number of theoreticians and practitioners.
According to them knowledge cannot be imparted (e.g. von Foerster & Pörksen, 1998).
This understanding is naturally in contradiction to the traditionally dominating opinion
according to which learning is based on the reception of represented knowledge. After all,
"imparting knowledge" is still a key term of pedagogy today.
But von Foerster goes on to claim that knowledge "cannot be understood as a type of
object, an item or a thing that … can be transferred from A to B in order to achieve a
defined effect in an organism". On the contrary, the author is of the opinion that
"knowledge is generated by a person himself and the essential thing is to create the
circumstances in which these processes of generation and creation are possible." The
digital learning environment provides the circumstances. In this environment the
constructive view of the nature of knowledge gains direct pedagogical importance.
Knowledge is created here in a process of construction which is based on the conversion of
information into knowledge structures and their adaptation to the new situations.
According to Knuth and Cunningham (1993) as well as Duffy and Jonassen (1991),
knowledge is by no means imparted by "instruction". They also describe the sequence
of the process of constructing knowledge. According to their theory, the individual
builds his own new knowledge structures, places them in networks, links them with new
concepts, assimilates and integrates them. However, this process is influenced
individually through existing knowledge and through anthropogenic circumstances as
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