Community knowledge assessment in a knowledge building environment

•This study explored ways of using key terms to assess community knowledge.•The importance of assessing community knowledge for CSCL was elaborated.•The limitations of conventional online behavioral measures (e.g., number of notes posted and read) was discussed.•Key-terms measures can be used to complement conventional behavioral measures for knowledge assessment.•Possibilities for using key terms for automated assessment of community knowledge are discussed.

This study investigates ways of using key terms to represent and assess community knowledge in an online knowledge building environment. Knowledge Forum – an environment specially designed to support advances in community knowledge – incorporates key-term analytic tools. In the current study these tools were used to determine if key-term measures complement conventional online behavioral measures in assessing community knowledge advances. Discourse rated as more reflective and depth-oriented showed higher percentages of shared key terms and higher frequency use of shared key terms than less reflective, shallower discourse. Limitations and possibilities for using key terms for automated assessment and visual representation of community knowledge are discussed.