Knowledge Management in Education
Access to information is the key to a successful organization, be it a corporation, a small business, or a college or university. The ability to seek and out find information easily can increase efficiency and raise the levels of expertise of those within the organization Knowledge Management (KM) is the conscious and intentional process of defining, structuring, retaining, and sharing of knowledge and experience of employees within and organization (Andreev, 2023).
The goal of knowledge management is to develop connections between those what have the information or knowledge and those that need it. Using a knowledge management process benefits the institution as it allows for quicker decision making, more efficient problem solving, and a smarter workforce (Andreev, 2023).
Types of Knowledge
Institutions are made up of many people which contain a vast amount of knowledge that remains untapped unless there is a process in place to bring it all together. Within any institution there are two types of knowledge, explicit and tacit. Explicit knowledge is considered to be the straight forward knowledge held in reports, handbooks, and guides, while tacit knowledge comes from the people within the institution (Starmind, 2023).
Tacit, or implicit, knowledge encompasses the experience and knowledge of those within the organization. Often, this type of knowledge is under utilized as we are not aware of what we know and how it may benefit others within the institution (Starmind, 2023). Once knowledge management becomes a focus, there are tremendous benefits to both the organization and the individuals.
Best Practices
There are many best practices to developing a solid knowledge management system for any institution. While this blog post cannot cover all aspects of the best practices, I have provides some of the more common ones. First, the use of simple language is key. Clear and concise wording make information easy to understand and consume. Secondly, using keywords in the text and titles, allows for easy searches, and finally, feature top posts that are currently creating to the most engagement (Miels, 2023).
These best practices will also create better self service component that allows users to find what they need on their own. Knowledge management systems empower your faculty (employees) to locate information accurately and efficiently (Galic, 2022).
Knowledge Management in Today's World
Knowledge management (KM) has become an effective asset for many organizations including academia. Being able to manage, arrange, and share information on a large scale basis is fundamental to the overall quality of life to the institution. As a faculty member of a large college, being able to access information and knowledge curated by the institution is a vital importance. I need to be able to access information concerning students, faculty, staff, and employees.
Having access to portals that organize this data makes my life easier, and when I cannot find it, being able to reach out to someone who can assist me with the necessary information. With the current trend of artificial intelligence being added to almost everything, using AI as a chatbot will aid in the accessing of the vast amounts of knowledge available.
Relevance to Instructional Design
With the vast amount of knowledge regarding instructional design over the past decades, the ability to bring it all together into a curated body of information is vital. Knowledge management tools allow us to put all of this information into a single space and provide ease of access. Using KM tools creates collaboration for all parties involved, allows for individuals to stay current with new information, and utilizes all parties to the best of the abilities.
Knowledge Management Resources
Works Referenced:
Andreev, I. (2023, March 20). Knowledge management: Importance, benefits, examples [2023]. Valamis. https://www.valamis.com/hub/knowledge-management
Anonymous. (2023, March 6). What is Knowledge Management and why is it so important?. Starmind. https://www.starmind.ai/resources/what-is-knowledge-management-and-why-is-it-so-important
Galic, D. (2022, March 23). 4 knowledge management best practices for better self-service. Zendesk. https://www.zendesk.com/blog/knowledge-management-best-practices/
Miels, E. (2023, March 22). What is knowledge management? definition, types, and benefits. Zendesk. https://www.zendesk.com/blog/knowledge-management-system/
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