Knowledge Management in Higher Education: Creating Accountability from Within Lisa Petrides, Ph.D....

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Knowledge Management

in Higher Education: Creating Accountability from Within

Lisa Petrides, Ph.D.Institute for the Study of Knowledge

Management in Education

Knowledge Management: A Working Definition

A human-centered, organization-wide approach to knowledge sharing and learning

The conscious integration of people, processes and technology to collect, share, and use information that builds organizational capacity for continuous improvement

Ultimately,transforming what an organization knows into how it acts

The “Roach Motel” Model

“Roaches (data) check in, but they can’t check out”

The “It’s Right Here in My Files” Model

The “Hording” Model

The “Reinvent the Wheel” Model

A Few Knowledge Management Building Blocks

What Is This?

Data

Information is Datain Context

Knowledge Used to Inform Decisions or Take Action

The D-I-K-A Model: Provides Continuous Feedback

Information

Action

Data

Knowledge

Core Resources: People, Processes, and Technology

People’s attitudes, behaviors, and the role of management

Organizational processes, policies, and structures

Technology and information systems

People, Processes, and Technology

It is people who access data, place information in context, and create and share knowledge

Knowledge within an organization can be tacit as well as explicit, often with tacit information as “institutional memory”

“For those of you who don’t know Mr. Ingham—he’s our institutional memory.”

People, Processes, and Technology

Lack of leadership support for data access and sharing

Data use perceived as threatening Information overload

Challenges

People, Processes, and Technology

Provide incentives for people to share and use what they know

Identify and improve management styles and patterns of behavior

Provide means for transforming tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge

Knowledge Management Approach

People, Processes, and Technology

Organizational processes, policies, and structures can either inhibit or enhance the sharing of information and knowledge

These processes influence individual behavior, which lead to establishment of organizational norms and behavior

People, Processes, and Technology

Need for better analysis of existing data and information

Insufficient internal research capacity Fragmentation and lack of

coordination across functions and departments

Challenges

People, Processes, and Technology

Identify patterns of information use (and non-use)

Establish and promote processes that encourage the use and sharing of information

Develop processes and structures that disable information silos

Knowledge Management Approach

Disabling an Information Silo

People, Processes, and Technology

Technological advances—such as data warehousing—can make data much more accessible, particularly for non-experts

However, the implementation of technology itself does not promote the use of data, particularly among those less familiar with information technology

People, Processes, and Technology

Data perceived as unreliable Inadequate, unreliable, or

disconnected information systems Insufficient technology support

Challenges

People, Processes, and Technology

Involve end-users in system design and implementation processes

Promote information systems that span departments rather than serve to reinforce divisions among them

Knowledge Management Approach

The Result: A Culture of Inquiry

Access to reliable data to measure and assess

Effective information use and sharing Create and share knowledge cross-

functionally to ask questions and solve problems proactively

Turn knowledge into action as a means to improve outcomes, performance, or effectiveness

Knowledge ManagementIs Not…

An isolated approach A quick fix Ready-made for your college campus A new campus-wide information system A way to control or define what knowledge “is” Something you can buy from a vendor

Research Questions at the Intersection of People, Processes and Technology

People

Technology

Processes

Research Questions

Types of Questions Associated With Research on KM

How can a college improve the way information systems are used in decision-making?

Are there incentives on campus for people to share what they know across departments?

Are external demands for information aligned with internal needs for information?

How do accountability mandates affect institutional practice?

Why Should We Bother?

Internal Motivators Improved student learning outcomes More informed decision-making Financial goals (increased efficiency)External Motivators Accountability mandates Accreditation processes Perceptions of public needs

A conscious integration of people, processes and technology to collect, share, and use information that builds organizational capacity for continuous improvement

How Would You Know If You Saw It?

How Would You Know If You Saw It?

People Management that encourages data and

information use Resources available to bring faculty and

staff together to analyze and discuss data Culture of inquiry that promotes asking

questions, finding answers, and taking action

How Would You Know If You Saw It?

Processes Practices in place that clearly relate how

data and information analysis advances the overall mission

Data collection priorities span across departments

Professional development that helps people use and analyze data for practical decision-making

How Would You Know If You Saw It?

Technology New information technologies supported

through adequate resourcing Faculty and staff included in information

technology design and implementation Wide access to data and information in

easy to query formats for non-experts

ConclusionBuilding Trust and Accountability

Opportunities to define their own terms of success

People, processes, and technology to measure and guide improvement

Ability to present their successes to external stakeholders

Using a knowledge management approach allows colleges to develop:

Discussion (Q & A)

Contact me: lisa@iskme.org

More information: www.iskme.org

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