A systematic review on online knowledge construction: an organizing framework for existing research and future research agenda

This paper systematically reviewed research on online knowledge construction. Grounded in 74 selected articles, this paper digs into the connotation of knowledge construction, synthesizes the theoretical bases, and summarizes the primary research streams. This paper provides an organizing framework for existing research on online knowledge construction, which can serve as a foundation for future research. The finding reveals that the existing studies fall into three levels: micro, meso, and macro levels. While micro-level research investigates individual factors (e.g. how personality traits, emotional state, network location, expertise, and learners’ interests influence knowledge construction), meso-level research extends to the communities and platforms supported by the Internet, and macro-level research further extends to the broadest level (such as nations and cultural systems). Gaps in the area are identified, leading us to the propositions of mediating and moderating effects. Finally, we highlight several areas deserving urgent attention. This paper not only summarizes the primary research streams but curates a practical body of literature, identifies where research has and has not been conducted, and establishes a foundation for researchers to distinguish new contributions from previous work.