本研究主要目的為探究知識翻新教學對學生知識共構歷程與想法概念理解的影響。以知識翻新原則（knowledge building principles）為教學理念（Scardamalia, 2002），輔以知識論壇(Knowledge Forum™)的教學設計，提供一個電腦支援協作學習的線上環境，幫助學生體驗與想法互動、想法共構與翻新想法的過程，並紀錄學生多元的想法。本研究採個案研究法，研究對象為某國立大學的學生（N=41），教學時程為一學期。資料來源與分析包含：(1)知識論壇平台活動情形--透過知識論壇分析工具與社會網絡分析法來瞭解學生在平台上的活動量與互動關係；(2)知識論壇中學生想法互動貼文--透過Dean, Hender, Rodgers與Santanenm（2006）建立的想法品質評估量表，以新穎性、可行性、關聯性與具體性四個面向進行學生想法的評分，另外也採用Garrison, Anderson與Archer（2001）提出的實用探索模式，將學生想法分為引發事件、探索、整合、決議四個探索層次進行分析；(3)想法概念開放式問卷前後測--由學生的回答進行開放式編碼，搭配Popper（1972）三個世界知識論（3-World epistemology）的理念框架進行分析。研究結果發現：(1)知識翻新與知識論壇輔助的教學設計，能幫助學生產生想法、進行想法互動，提升想法層次；(2)在知識翻新教學環境下，能提升學生對於想法概念的多元理解，並逐漸將想法視為可被交換與運用來解決真實問題的具體產物；(3)品質與數量並重的想法共構歷程，與學生對於想法概念的理解程度有相輔相成的可能性；(4)知識翻新學習環境，能促使學生提出多元化的想法，透過探索與整合進行知識共構。以上結果顯示，知識翻新環境提供了一個開放討論的空間，讓學生願意分享想法，使想法有改進的可能；此外，也讓學生在過程中，對於想法概念的理解更多元，也更認同想法是具體且共有的社會實體。 / The purpose of this research was to investigate the effects of knowledge building pedagogy on college students’ understanding of the concept of ‘ideas’. Knowledge building principles (Scardamalia, 2002) and Knowledge Forum (KF) technology were employed to support and record the process of idea generation, idea co-construction and idea elaboration. This study adopted a case study design. Participants were 41 undergraduates who engaged in a course titled “Introduction to Living Technology” for one semester. Data sources and analyses included: (1) students’ online activities in KF, which was assessed using Analytic Toolkit and social network analysis in order to understand the process of interaction among students; (2) students’ online discourse data, which were scored using idea evaluation scale (see Dean, Hender, Rodgers & Santanenm, 2006) including four dimensions--novelty, workability, relevance and specificity; moreover, students’ ideas were content-analyzed using practical inquiry model including four levels--triggering event, exploration, integration and resolution (Garrison, Anderson & Archer, 2001); (3) pre-post survey with five open-ended questions that assessed students’ understanding of the concept of ‘idea’ in several aspects (e.g., definition, purpose, and source); moreover, students’ answers were analyzed by open coding using Popper’s three-world epistemological framework. The findings were as follows: (1) knowledge building and technology was found helpful for students to generate ideas, facilitate idea interaction and improve ideas; (2) engaging students in knowledge building was likely to enhance students’ diverse perceptions about ideas, and students tended to see ideas as improvable objects of value for potential knowledge construction; (3) idea co-construction processes, emphasizing both the quality and quantity of ideas, were also likely to enhance students’ diversified perceptions about ‘ideas’; (4) knowledge building environment was beneficial for students to implement knowledge co-construction through exploration and integration. To conclude, knowledge building environment provided an open space for students to share ideas and made idea elaboration more easily; besides, via co-construction process, students’ understanding of the concept of ‘idea’ becomes more diverse, and tended to recognize ideas as tangible, social epistemic entities.

Research and Development engineering is at the corner stone of humanity’s evolution. It is perceived to be a systematic creative process which ultimately improves the living standard of a society through the creation of new applications and products. The commercial paradigm that governs project selection, resource allocation and market penetration prevails when the focus shifts from pure research to applied research. Furthermore, the road to success through commercialisation is difficult for most inventors, especially in a vast and isolated country such as Australia which is located a long way from wealthy and developed economies. While market leading products are considered unique, the actual process to achieve these products is essentially the same; progressing from an idea, through development to an outcome (if successful). Unfortunately, statistics indicate that only 3% of ‘ideas’ are significantly successful, 4% are moderately successful, and the remainder ‘evaporate’ in that form (Michael Quinn, Chairman, Innovation Capital Associates Pty Ltd). This study demonstrates and analyses two techniques developed by the author which reduce uncertainty in the engineering design and development phase of new product development and therefore increase the probability of a successful outcome. This study expands the existing knowledge of the engineering design and development stage in the new product development process and is couched in the identification of practical methods, which have been successfully used to develop new products by Australian Small Medium Enterprise (SME) Excel Technology Group Pty Ltd (ETG). Process theory is the term most commonly used to describe scientific study that identifies occurrences that result from a specified input state to an output state, thus detailing the process used to achieve an outcome. The thesis identifies relevant material and analyses recognised and established engineering processes utilised in developing new products. The literature identified that case studies are a particularly useful method for supporting problem-solving processes in settings where there are no clear answers or where problems are unstructured, as in New Product Development (NPD). This study describes, defines, and demonstrates the process of new product development within the context of historical product development and a ‘live’ case study associated with an Australian Government START grant awarded to Excel Technology Group in 2004 to assist in the development of an image-based vehicle detection product. This study proposes two techniques which reduce uncertainty and thereby improve the probability of a successful outcome. The first technique provides a predicted project development path or forward engineering plan which transforms the initial ‘fuzzy idea’ into a potential and achievable outcome. This process qualifies the ‘fuzzy idea’ as a potential, rationale or tangible outcome which is within the capability of the organisation. Additionally, this process proposes that a tangible or rationale idea can be deconstructed in reverse engineering process in order to create a forward engineering development plan. A detailed structured forward engineering plan reduces the uncertainty associated with new product development unknowns and therefore contributes to a successful outcome. This is described as the RETRO technique. The study recognises however that this claim requires qualification and proposes a second technique. The second technique proposes that a two dimensional spatial representation which has productivity and consumed resources as its axes, provides an effective means to qualify progress and expediently identify variation from the predicted plan. This spatial representation technique allows a quick response which in itself has a prediction attribute associated with directing the project back onto its predicted path. This process involves a coterminous comparison between the predicted development path and the evolving actual project development path. A consequence of this process is verification of progress or the application of informed, timely and quantified corrective action. This process also identifies the degree of success achieved in the engineering design and development phase of new product development where success is defined as achieving a predicted outcome. This spatial representation technique is referred to as NPD Mapping. The study demonstrates that these are useful techniques which aid SMEs in achieving successful new product outcomes because the technique are easily administered, measure and represent relevant development process related elements and functions, and enable expedient quantified responsive action when the evolving path varies from the predicted path. These techniques go beyond time line representations as represented in GANTT charts and PERT analysis, and represent the base variables of consumed resource and productivity/technical achievement in a manner that facilitates higher level interpretation of time, effort, degree of difficulty, and product complexity in order to facilitate informed decision making. This study presents, describes, analyses and demonstrates an SME focused engineering development technique, developed by the author, that produces a successful new product outcome which begins with a ‘fuzzy idea’ in the mind of the inventor and concludes with a successful new product outcome that is delivered on time and within budget. Further research on a wider range of SME organisations undertaking new product development is recommended.