Contributions of E-Collaborative Knowledge Construction to Professional Learning and Expertise

In order to enhance people’s employability and enterprises’ competitiveness, educational policy in Europe focuses heavily on lifelong learning (Grek et al., 2009; Rauner, 2008). This is a reaction to the circumstances of modern worklife in Western industries, which is often characterized as knowledge-based or knowledge-intensive work (Cort, 2009). A crucial component for occupational success on an individual level and economic success on an organizational level is the capability to react to changes in the competition, which can be the result of technological development or customers’ demands. As a consequence of market diversification, it is not possible to predict developments precisely. Moreover, it is plausible that future developments and demands cannot be foreseen. Hence, it is rational to rely on employees’ capabilities and competences, which are the best and most flexible abstraCt