The online Learning Environment - a model using social constructivism and the concept of 'Ba'

This is an interesting research paper. The theory of Ba(place)according to Nonaka nd Konno say that there is a 'place'- how and where knowledge can be created. This is done through 3 ways- physical, mental and virtual. In other words it is platform for resource concentration whereby new knowledge can be created. Nonaka and Konno descrive 4 types of Bawhich they equate with the 4 stages( ) of the SCEI model:

Originating or Existential Ba( Socialisation): place where individuals share experiences, feelings and mental models
Interacting or Reflective Ba (Externalisation): place where individuals share mental models and reflect and analyse their own.
Cyber or Virtual Ba (Combination): a place of interaction in the virtual world instead of real space and time.
Exercising Ba (Internalisation): a place that facilitates conversation of tacit to explicit knowledge.

How does this apply in a classroom situation?
If we know this is how an individual learns, then in the classroom environment we must provide enough scaffolds to help students to move from tacit knowledge of the subject matter to an explicit knowledge whereby they share their knowledge with their group members in a virtual world and finally through such interaction, able to create new knowledge which they will internalise as their own and finally use this knowledge to produce some output.

The new model ESCIE is based on these two theories. The steps are:
1. Explicitisation
2. Socialisation
3. Combination
4. Internalisation
5. Externalisation