Title: Shareworks - a ubiquitous online learning platform for project-based learning and networking

Authors: Flip Van Haaren; Niels C.C.M. Moes

Addresses: Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands ' Faculty of Industrial Design Engineering, Delft University of Technology, Landbergstraat 15 2628 CE Delft, The Netherlands

Abstract: This paper covers the early-stage research and concept development of an online knowledge sharing platform for academic students with creative projects. The platform attempts to help universities to connect education with the commercial partners and with tacit knowledge sharing: to improve learning and to realise more innovative projects on campus. The platform, coined Shareworks, is inspired by Web 2.0 possibilities and ubiquitous technologies through existing mobile devices. The Shareworks project was realised in a new masters course, organised by a cooperation of multiple universities (Moes et al., 2012; Canton et al., 2012). In the 2011 realisation, universities from Colombia, India, the Netherlands, South Africa and the USA participated. From this consortium, that was named World Wide Design Services Consortium (WWDSC), teams were formed. The generic assignment for all teams was solving societal problems using ubiquitous technologies. The Shareworks platform deals with the complexity of tacit knowledge sharing within universities, which is important for students to turn projects into meaningful learning journeys or even innovations.

Keywords: virtual learning environments; VLEs; personal learning environments; PLEs; knowledge sharing; ubiquitous technologies; student projects; creative networking; online communities; virtual communities; web based communities; online learning; project-based learning; PBL; electronic learning; e-learning; tacit knowledge; higher education; mobile devices; academic collaboration; Colombia; India; Netherlands; South Africa; USA; United States.

DOI: 10.1504/IJCAET.2016.073271

International Journal of Computer Aided Engineering and Technology, 2016 Vol.8 No.1/2, pp.179 - 197

Published online: 30 Nov 2015 *

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