Distributed Knowledge Management in Cooperative Learning Environments

Learning is a socially embedded design process. But most of today’s hypermedia systems fail to properly support the design-related and the social aspects of learning. Authoring and Web-publishing systems aim to support the authors ’ design processes. Consequently, the activities of learners are confined to selecting and reading. Based on some fundamental reflections on the role of technology in learning processes, we conclude that top priority must be given to the construction of infrastructures that support cooperative learning processes if we are to properly harness the technology’s potential. We present a learner-centered, wholly Web-based approach for structuring information in teams (sTeam). In sTeam the key concept is virtual space. It draws cooperation and commu-nication together, while at the same time embodying the common external memory of a (virtual) learning group. Hence, the focus is not on interactive systems for individual access of knowledge bases, but on the cooperative management and structuring of distributed knowl-edge bases