Knowledge management in schools: from electronic schoolbag to social software

  • Authors:

  • Harald Selke

  • Affiliations:

  • Heinz Nixdorf Institute, University of Paderborn, Paderborn, Germany

  • Venue:
  • EC-TEL'06 Proceedings of the First European conference on Technology Enhanced Learning: innovative Approaches for Learning and Knowledge Sharing
  • Year:
  • 2006

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Abstract

This contribution examines how teaching and learning in schools can be enhanced by employing computer technology. For that purpose, a web based system was developed in an evolutionary and participatory design process to serve as a platform for knowledge management in schools and then developed further into a system that can be characterized as social software for schools. The development was carried out in three stages. A powerful content management proved too complex and thus too difficult to learn for most users and resulted in poor usage. After reducing the functionality and re-implementing the user interface, the system was successfully introduced in schools. An evaluation of this “electronic schoolbag” showed that while the system was very well received, additional features were demanded. The third stage of the development thus added support in particular for use of the system in class, so that cooperation, communication, and coordination are now supported by an integration of several components of social software.