#549: Multi-Level Knowledge Building Engagement: Pathways to Collaborative Problem-Solving and Academic Excellence in Higher Education

Collaborative problem-solving (CPS) is increasingly vital for 21st-century learning, yet research on innovative pedagogy for cultivating these competencies in higher education remains limited. This study evaluated knowledge building (KB) as an innovative pedagogy to foster CPS in a university research methods course with 46 students. By analyzing actual online discourse on Knowledge Forum (KF), the study examined five levels of students’ KB engagement—behavioral, cognitive, thematic, methodological, and product-based—in relation to their academic achievement. Results revealed high levels of active participation, with 54.10% of contributions involving higher-order cognitive activities. Furthermore, multi-level analysis of KB engagement significantly predicted 43.6% of the variance in academic achievement. These findings provide empirical evidence that the KB environment on KF facilitates the practice of CPS while enhancing academic excellence, offering a validated framework for university curriculum innovation.