Micro-Level Interactions

Micro-level interactions consist of human behaviour and engagement cues that enable both learners and educators to gain a better understanding of their knowledge acquisition. It is an “intensely human, messy process of imagination, invention and learning from mistakes, embedded in a web of human relationships”.

Through the platform, we have created opportunities to engage in these human interactions such as

1. Project management task distribution
2. Scrolling through the repository page
3. Commenting on each other’s work (student-student, teacher-team)

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Micro-Level Interactions: The Human Factor Researchers such as (Hardaker, Smith, 2002, Nonaka et al., 2008, Heisig, 2009, Jakubik, 2011), acknowledge the field of knowledge management has shifted and reached a new phase where the acquisitions of concepts need to be human-focused, mainly people, culture and leadership. To support their claim, Jakubik (2011) defined the microlevel perspective of human behavior and engagement by mentioning the topic of immersion centered interaction based on psychologist Csikszentmihalyi (1991, pp. 88- 89)’s flow theory. Similarly, Senge and Scharmer (2001, p. 247) believed knowledge creation is an

“intensely human, messy process of imagination, invention and learning from mistakes, embedded in a web of human relationships”.

Based on Csikszentmihalyi (1990)’s interpretation of flow experience, individuals share common clear goals towards their experience to which, with interactions allow them to create feelings and these feelings gives them a sense of control on the possibilities of choices. Within the process of knowledge creation at the human level, individuals have an intrinsic motivation, such as a commitment to the learning process and view mistakes and challenges as a way to push their limits and learn.

Similarly, (Senge & Scharmer, 2001, p.24) believes knowledge creation is an “intensely human, messy process of imagination, invention and learning from mistakes, embedded in a web of human relationships. The more firms try to protect their knowledge, the more they risk destroying the conditions that lead to its generation. Organizing for knowledge creation may be very different from organizing traditional competitive advantage.”.

Freedom to Explore

The concept of exploration is to build a semi-chaotic environment with pedagogical intentions for students to explore their own interest and fulfill their needs.

Innovatank presents the information based on challenges rather than through lines and folders. Users have the freedom to explore content, navigate through various resources within the context of learning which we believe enhances creativity when we let our brains breathe.

Let us show you a few features:

1. Exploring an educational TV channel
2. Exploring other related challenges
3. Exploring feedback from various perspectives ( peers, teacher and guests)

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On the practical end, Hardaker & Smith (2002), Li, Lai, & Luo (2016) argued with the increase in information, organizations cannot continue to ignore innovation and knowledge transfer. Very often they seek too much control on the learning process without giving enough freedom to their employees. When building products, initiatives, they should focus on the needs of their staff members. In the same line, Grant & BadenFuller (2000) Jakubik (2008), Wenger & Snyder (2000), mentioned knowledge creation is shifting from a firm oriented to a network and community oriented knowledge process where knowledge is created through peer to peer interactions, commentaries, dialogues and reconceptualization. 

“The focus on human is not enough”, mentioned Jakubik (2008), not only does the focus need to be at a micro-level, the scope should be contextual. Wenger (2000), Jakubik, (2008) quotes “. . . groups of people informally bound together by shared expertise and passion for joint enterprise [. . .]”

Missed Opportunities to Learn

The learning process can extend beyond grades and submissions but rather interactions.

We built a platform with the consideration that learning occurs when we watch others and improve our own. We also learn by giving constructive and relevant feedback to others while fostering a loving and caring environment.

Here are a few features showcasing missing opportunities to learn:

1. Exchanging ideas to help peers improve
2. Aggregating multiple perspectives into 1 place
3. Changing Teams and working together

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People in communities of practice share their experiences and knowledge in freeflowing, creative ways that foster new approaches to problems. Researchers mentioned multiple characteristics of communities such that guidance is needed at the beginning, but they can become self-sustained (Cook and Brown, 1999; Tsoukas, 2000; Zboralski, 2009; Sun, 2010), collaborative learning approaches enhance critical thinking (Hardaker and Smith, 2002), individuals become responsible of their own learning where they follow a process of questioning the existence of solutions and assumptions while seeking new possibilities (Fagerholm & Helelä, 2003; Jakubik, 2008).

There are missed opportunities from learners to participate in an exchange of ideas

This is in line with Hardaker, Smith (2002)’s thoughts on a missed opportunity from learners to participate in an exchange of ideas where the appropriate level of interactivity is meaningful.

Experience without the High Cost

An experience can be life changing, we specialize in finding local stories and systemic stories to assist teachers and provide students an opportunity to see the world out there without the extra cost of traveling.

Students learn from real-life industry professionals and even get surprise visits and the top teams visit these professionals in person.

1. Students work together to achieve a common goal with the support of educators
2. Students have a chance to present to industry leaders
3. They can dream it, they can do it because we can guide them through the path

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Showcase of our visit at Atelier Palestra:

Referring to Inks & Avila (2008), engagement relates to the quality and effectiveness of the learning experience where people learn better when they are fully engaged. It requires students to participate in discussions, reflect on their thoughts, solve problems, and be present in activities by which the learner is required to go through a cognitive process of new information presented.

An effective, high quality context atmosphere requires a lot of monetary investment, by which researchers use technologies such as virtual realities with gamification and strategies to create an enticing environment for students to immerse in and learn. Not only should the environment be attractive but accessible to all those who wish to learn at low cost, otherwise true experiential learning may incur a high cost such as travelling expenses, extended time for readiness to experience, or investment in risky efforts which may not result in the experience intended.

Control of Knowledge

Always on the look out to turn tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge as well as to create a sense of habit and reflex of writing things down and taking action. Overtime, students feel less overwhelmed and continue to extract great insights based on limited amounts of information first, then explores for more creating a highly efficient way of creating knowledge.

Providing feedback while students are creating their masterpiece encourages students to ask questions and improve before their final submissions.

Here are a few examples of these reflexes in action:

1. Submitting drafts and receiving support
2. Entering peer feedback as we engage in listening to others’ work
3. Reusing the best answers to do better in the next round

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Control with an understanding of human factors, contexts of knowledge creation, researchers Stacey (2004), Senge et al. (2005), Gourlay (2006) believe the notion of transformative change is largely unexplored. Gourlay (2006), Harsh (2009) criticized on how explicit knowledge is not always externalized tacit knowledge, but it is the representation of ongoing practices and the ability to exercise control over knowledge over a period of time.

Control of an environment includes the challenge of working with limited information as a survival technique to information overload. Hence the ability of an individual to detect value-added information through a learning-driven process (Cross, 1976) allows knowledge to be useful and reusable which consequently can increase the efficiency of knowledge creation (Hardaker, Smith, 2002), (Harsh, 2009).

Negotiation as a form of active learning

A large part of the process at Innovatank is to present ideas in front of the classroom while providing students with reassurance that they are safe and we are all ears for them.

Providing frequent opportunities for students to present will decrease their stress, and increase their motivation to improve and capture a life-long skill for their careers. Here is a glimpse of the World Case Open, a large-scale event where 50 industry leaders gathered to listen to students’ ideas. We draw a parallel to professional sports, never stop training.

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 Student collaboration toward a learning goal draws on elements of discovery, sharing and negotiating knowledge (Kristensen, 1999). Considering those elements, discovery is an exploratory activity of an active learning form where students should construct their own knowledge from material provided by their instructor. Sharing is a requirement for successful collaboration that requires effectively structured cooperation of students. A negotiation is a form of active participation which allows the student to practice their present knowledge and refine it through discussion, evaluation, and reflection (Pirker, Kultima, & Gütl, 2016)). These learning collaboration elements provide significant benefits and opportunities for a deeper understanding of learning material via student self-discovery and autonomy resulting in an increase in motivation and engagement (Kersh, 1962; Saade, Nebebe, & Mak, 2011).