"Project based learning is often focused on the production of tangible products such as multi-media presentations, whereas the focus in knowledge building is on the knowledge itself, its physical representation being secondary."
As schools increasingly rely on ICT's (Information & Communication Technologies) to manage their workload and also to access information in order to provide students with background information, certain principles need to be considered.
Principle 1
The most powerful attribute of conceptual model building is that the owner can actually create and build new knowledge in excess of that which contributed to the development of the initial model. We have already discussed the importance of asking clever, high order thinking questions, which encourage students to build conceptual models of understanding. In order for students to be able to think laterally, they must first create in their minds a conceptual framework/model of understanding. It is only then that they can build on this framework and improve upon it. If students have only facts to work with, they cannot create new information from these alone. The creation of new knowledge (to the owner) may not necessarily result in innovation but it is a precursor to the instigation of that process.
Principle 2
Thinking is a discipline and as such calls for changes in the way we carry out our daily activities, and make decisions, and that requires a consciousness of thought. In other words in order for students to think about what they're doing they need to be encouraged into a discipline of questioning, and reflecting on their thoughts and thought processes and content. This is often referred to as metacognitive activity. It is the ability to think about your own thinking.
Principle 3
Educators tend to believe that knowledge is one-dimensional and resides in a location; . . . . the mind. . . . . whereas in the 21st C, knowledge can also be thought of as a product that can be collectively constructed/created (new knowledge). Inevitably some teachers will make the mistake of believing that unless there is concrete evidence in a physical format of the student's understanding, then the student does not understand the concept or principal being discussed. Lawyers are all too well aware that intellectual property (IP) is very real, and can be patented and protected, even though there is no visible product to demonstrate that intellectual capacity.
