Applying Knowledge Management Practices In Higher Education System

Introduction: Knowledge Management (KM) is today the subject of much literature discussion, planning and action [see, e.g., 1-9]. The knowledge management applies systematic approaches to find, understand, and use knowledge to create values [6,10,11,12]. It is also the formalization and access to experience, knowledge, and expertise that create new capabilities, enable superior performance, encourage innovation, and enhance customer value [2]. Many organization have started using KM principles, methods, and tools to reap the benefits especially of value addition and improved performance of the organization.
Universities seem to be an interesting type of organizations suitable for introducing knowledge management practices [1,2]. The environment in  universities/colleges and Technical Education System (TES), by its nature, is suitable for application of Knowledge Management principles and methods. The main reasons are:
•    To share their knowledge with others is very natural for teachers and pressers
•    Learning or acquiring knowledge is also a natural derive for teachers/scholars
•    Dissemination of knowledge in the form of lecturers or discussions is very natural in technical university or technical education system
•    There is trustful atmosphere at universities/colleges, no one is hesitating in publishing, which is a form of disseminating the acquired knowledge.

The Higher Education System is like business organization with a lot of business activities on the "educational market", any method of increasing their competitive advantage might be very useful and interesting for them. Clearly Knowledge Management is the way out and this is further discussed in section 3.

2.    Knowledge Management Concepts: According to Zeleny [15], knowledge is perceived as meaningful information; or understanding, awareness, familiarity acquired through study, investigation, observation or experience over course of time. There are two main type of knowledge – explicit and tacit. Every one has explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is described in formal language, like mathematical expressions, textbooks, written documents. It consists of technical knowledge or "know-how". Tacit knowledge is automatic, resembles intuition and is oral. It is often taken for granted and may be considered less valuable than explicit knowledge. However, effective utilization of tacit knowledge is essentials for competitiveness, but it is difficult to capture. Learning occurs when people share their data, information and explicit and tacit knowledge. According to Davenport et.al [6,7], Knowledge Management can be defined as :

"Knowledge Management is concerned with the exploitation and development of knowledge assets of an organisation with a view to furthering the organization's objectives. This knowledge to be managed includes with explicit, documents knowledge and tacit, subjective knowledge".


* Sanjay Agrawal, Assistant Professor Computer Applications, NITTTR, Bhopal
** Dr. M. Kumar, Professor Computer Applications, MANIT, Bhopal , 

Basically a company has to manage the change and allow the culture to move towards a structure, which enables to organization to transform tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge; to develop the knowledge cycle, Fig 1, and make knowledge available and accessible company-wide [13].

Further, Liebowizt [14] presented a mine step approach to KM. The steps are:
a.    Transform information into Knowledge
b.    Identify and verify knowledge\
c.    Capture and secure knowledge
d.    Organise Knowledge
e.    Retrieve and apply knowledge
f.    Combine knowledge
g.    Create knowledge
h.    Learn Knowledge
i.    Distribute/Sell Knowledge

3.    Knowledge Management In Higher Education:  Universities have traditionally two main roles: creating knowledge and disseminating knowledge. Research has been the main vehicle for creating knowledge and teaching has been the main vehicle for disseminating knowledge. In today's rapidly changing economic environment, the traditional role of universities as providers of knowledge is greatly challenged. Universities must recognize and respond to their changing role in a knowledge-based society. They need to be consciously and explicitly managing the processes associated with the creation of their knowledge assets, and to recognize the value of their intellectual capital to their continuing role in society.

On the other hand, students no longer are satisfied with first phase education. Their needs are now increasingly seen to be continuous throughout a working life and embrace personal growth at all stages of an individual's life. It is now clear that the future will belong to those who can acquire and apply knowledge and skills, which the global markets demand. Modern students will require regular updating of their knowledge, skills and competences. In this context, universities will be required to expand flexibility and innovative learning and teaching. To meet challenges of knowledge based society, universities will have to exploit the knowledge management ideas and principles given below:
•    To evolve suitable study programmes which will bridge the gap between demand and supply
•    To use it for its management decision support system, to improve internal document management and exploitation, to increase the level of information and knowledge dissemination etc.
•    To make use of it for a qualitative change in educational process itself.
Different learning and teaching strategies are effective to varying degrees for groups of students. KM practices seek to help teachers and faculty gather data and share information about which teaching approaches are most effective in specific learning environments. Collaboration model in teaching and learning, Fig. 2, helps teachers as well as students[18].  This Knowledge Management process promotes participation, interaction and learning.

In order to fulfill these ideas and principles, universities should improve existing processes such as:
•    Adaptive on-line administration of the student’s enrollment process with an automatic creation of his or her study interests profile, allowing to push him or her the relevant information and knowledge, to enable him or her a tailored access to relevant resources including the tailored time/table, etc.
•    Supporting the process of student’s orientation in the university practices, resources, etc. using a shared knowledge repository of best practices, basic university documents, interactive campus maps, electronic access to some shopping facilities or to ordering some necessary services, etc.
•    Supporting the student’s study process by an intelligent and tailored dissemination of information and knowledge relevant to his or her study, supported by well planned laboratory work and other similar activities.

These processes involve teaching, research, and managing staff of the university. Introduction of KM methods and tools will enable to share their knowledge, to improve the level of teaching and research collaboration and to improve the working relationship among staff and students. This, obviously, requires information exchange through campus-wide networking and appropriate software.

4.    Higher Education Scenario in India: The main strength of the Higher Education System in India is that it is well structured; it covers nearly all disciplines and offers programs at a very low cost to the students. It has largely met the skilled manpower requirement of the economy in the past and has the potential to meet the future needs too. It is generally self-reliant and has received international recognition for the quality of some of its output. The system has had extensive support from the Government and provides open access to the meritorious with little discrimination and full freedom of thought and action. The faculty is generally well qualified, and the approved teacher / student ratio is fairly high.

The apparent weaknesses of the system include lack of quality assurance, obsolescence in curricula and teaching methodology, poor infrastructure and technology support, political interference, lack of autonomy in decision making (both academic and administrative), absence of a global perspective, a failure to attract and retain the talented to the teaching profession, disinterested students, and an overall shortage of financial resources. Both external and internal efficiencies of the system are poor leading to enormous wastage. There are no incentives to utilize the system to its full potential and mobilize additional resources. Institutions are isolated with little interaction with employers, community, other academic and R&D institutions, and even within themselves.

For improvement of these weaknesses, it is essential that the universities / colleges in India adopt Knowledge Management Practices. For implementing the Knowledge Management in Institutes of higher learning, Information Technology (IT) infrastructure is needed. It is recommended that the UGC and AICTE should liberally fund institutions who are willing to adopt KM principles for improving quality of higher education.
5.     Conclusion: A proper framework will be needed for educational institutes willing to adopt KM to improve quality of education. Authors are working to evolve proper framework that can be used for implementing KM principles in educational institutes.

6.    References:

1.    K. Metaxiotis and J. Psarvas, (2003)Applying Knowledge Management in Higher Education: The Creation of Learning Organization, J. of Information & KM, Vol.2, No.4, pp 353-59.
2.    J. Mikulecka and P.Mikulecky, Unviersity Knowledge Management - Issues and Prospects, http://chirouble.univ-lyon2.fr/~pkdd2000/Download/WS5_12.pdf
3.    J.H. Milan, Knowledge Management for Higher Education - Eric Digest, http://highered.org/docs/milam-ericdigest-km.PDF
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6.    Daven port Tand L. Prusak, Working Knowledge : Managing What Your Organisation knows. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press.
7.    Davenport T, D.Delog and and M. Beers, Successful Knowledge Management Projects. Sloan Management Review, 39(2), 43-57.
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10.    Cortada, J.W., Woods, J.A. (eds.) , The Knowledge Management Yearbook 1999-2000. Butterworth – Heinemann, ISBN 0 –87584-655-6
11.    Miculecky P. Mikulecka, J. : Active tools for better Knowledge Dissemination. ASIS 1999 annual Meeting, ( L. Woods, ed.), pp. 420-427, Printed for ASIS by the Information Today, Inc. Medford, NJ.
12.    O'Leavy D.E.: Knowledge Management systems: Converting and Connecting . IEEE Intelligent systems, pp-30-33.
13.    Burk M, Knowledge Management : Everyone benefits by sharing information. http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/km/prart.htm
14.    Liebowitiz J, Building Organisation Intelligence : A knowledge management Primer. Boca Raton, FL:CRC Press.
15.    Zeleny M. Knowledge Vs information. The IEBM Handbook of Information Technology in Business, pp. 162-168.
16.    A. Kumar, R.Kaul, et.al. Simulation Modeling of TES: AKM perspective, Proc. of Intern conf. on ICT in Edcuation and Development, Dec. 16-18, 2004 Bhopal, India.
17.    World Bank Document, Report No. 20416-IN ,India Scientific and Technical Manpower Development in India, August 30, 2000, Education Sector Unit ,South Asia Region
18.     Keiichi Kitagawa , Joshua Arai , knowledge management in education ,  PPT slide -3
19.     Lisa A. Petrides and Thad R. Nodine, Knowledge management in education : Defining the Landscape, The institute for the Study of Knowledge Management in Education.

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