Challenges in knowledge sharing in higher education
- Authors: Buckley, Sheryl , Giannakopoulos, Paul
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Knowledge sharing , Higher education , Tacit kowledge , Explicit knowledge
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:6217 , ISBN 978-906638-40-5 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5307
- Description: In a knowledge economy, knowledge, the way it is shared and created and the way these actions are managed could lead to either a competitive advantage and the organisation can flourish or be the demise of the organisation irrespective whether it is predominantly knowledge driven or manufacturing driven (Baumard, 1999; Malone, 2003; Nonaka, 1994). Since knowledge (tacit and explicit) resides in the minds of the people and some of it can be subsequently codified and become 'common to all knowledge', then managing people's knowledge becomes a challenge to the organisation (Geisler, 2008; Roberts, 1998; Walczak, 2005). The situation at a University is not very much different but creation of new knowledge is not a voluntary act, nor is transferring of knowledge which is one of its main tasks. However, when it comes to sharing of knowledge among the academics the degree of sharing may vary and it can be voluntary or imposed on if necessary; for example when a group of academics collaborate on a task. If it is true that voluntary sharing of knowledge (mostly tacit) can lead to a competitive advantage, here being the creation of a world class University then an investigation into the knowledge sharing is imperative. This study is an attempt to determine the degree of knowledge sharing in a formal (or informal) Community of Practice (CoP) at a university as well as identification of factors that promote or impede knowledge sharing among the academics.
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Do problem solving, critical thinking and creativity play a role in knowledge management? A theoretical mathematics perspective
- Authors: Giannakopoulos, Paul , Buckley, Sheryl
- Date: 2009
- Subjects: Knowledge management , Problem solving , Critical thinking , Creativity , Mathematics , Psychopragmatic approach
- Type: Article
- Identifier: uj:6218 , ISBN 978-1-906638-40-5 , http://hdl.handle.net/10210/5308
- Description: Litschka, Markom, Schunder (2006) state that "... a knowledge-based economy requires new approaches in management especially with employee oriented actions, because workability, well-being, and creativity of employees determine the success and sustainability of an organization." Such approaches have to be grounded on established learning theories for life long learning which are conducive to knowledge creation and knowledge acquisition. Situated learning (Lave & Wenger, 1997), constructivism (Piaget, 1971; Vygotsky, 1978), behaviourism (Thorndike, 1915; Skinner, 1958) and cognitivism (Wertheimer, 1912; Kohlberg, 1972; Mezirow, 1962, all cited by Hergenhahn and Olson (1997: 29-48) have dominated education for more than eight decades. Though each theory has made valuable contributions, management of knowledge requires higher order thinking skills such critical thinking, problem solving and creativity on the part of the manager of the organisational knowledge and the part of the knowledge creator. The importance of these three skills, especially for the last two decades, have not only been accepted as important cognitive skills by educators and employers, but they also form part of the critical outcomes in American educational policies (American college personnel association, 1994 cited by King & Baxter-Magolda, 1996) as well as in South Africa (SAQA, 1998; the White Paper on Further Education and Training, 1998: 21-23). What is suggested here is a new approach to knowledge management, the psycho-pragmatic approach, which makes use of theories of learning of mathematics as problem solving, critical thinking and creativity form the essence of knowledge acquisition (Schoenfeld, 1987; Skemp, 1977). Mathematics has been recognised as a subject that enhances higher order skills because on the one hand requires abstract thinking on the other promotes use and application of knowledge (Pushkin 2007; Alonso, 1992; Forinash, 1992). This new approach makes use of psychological learning theories for generation of knowledge and pragmatism for application of such knowledge. It is of cyclic nature as well as of spiral nature based on the idea of Nonaka and Konno (1998) model of knowledge and of Bruner's (1976) spiral curriculum.
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