UBC Wiki - User contributions [en]

User:TimConklin/Books/OLT Style Guide

2010-10-19T18:36:06Z

TimConklin: Created page with '{{saved_book}} == OLT Style Guide == === Basic Style Guidelines about Abbreviations, Bylines, Italics, etc. === :Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Abbreviations :[[Docum…'

{{saved_book}}

== OLT Style Guide ==
=== Basic Style Guidelines about Abbreviations, Bylines, Italics, etc. ===
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Abbreviations]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Bylines]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Italics]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Lists]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Noun Usage]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Numbers]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Punctuations]]
:[[Documentation:OLT Writing Style Guide/Spelling Dictionary]]

[[Category:Books|OLT Style Guide]]

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T23:33:33Z

TimConklin:

Here's a link to my Prezi page: [[Sandbox:Prezi]]

----

Here is an e-mail from Brian Lamb:

Hi Timothy,

I was forwarded your query, as Cindy (cc'd) is away.. In terms of wiki writing guidelines, I will provide a few links below. In a sense, the basics of communication do not change so much in wiki environments... there are some principles of how to negotiate changes, etc... that are worth thinking about... but not sure if that's what your concern is.

This is probably the best one:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics/Hands_On:_6_Things_To_Know 6 Things to Know]

More here:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics MediaWiki Basics]

We have a designated "wiki gardener" this summer, and he can not only help out with more specialized issues, but would also be interested in hearing about any questions you have.

His page is here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/User:WikiAdministrator Wiki Gardener]

I don't have Will's email, but can get it... or you can add your questions by editing the "Discussion" tab on the WikiAdministrator page linked above.

Hope this helps, please do not hesitate to follow up.

Brian

Brian Lamb
Manager, Emerging Technologies and Digital Content Office of Learning Technology The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
[http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian My Blog] [http://olt.ubc.ca OLT]

----
Here's an e-mail from Cindy Underhill:

Sorry for the late response to this – just back from vacation and catching up!

We don’t have any style guidelines as such. Since wiki pages are used for such different purposes and projects, larger projects often define their own guidelines.

That said, we do have some basic guidelines for contributing to the wiki: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Contributing Contributing Guidelines]

If you would like an example of some beginning guidelines (that we are using with our learning commons project), you can refer to them here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Learning_Commons:Writing_Guidelines Beginning Guidelines]
I hope that is somewhat helpful to you.

Take care,

Cindy

----
Here is a link to the NACADA Clearninghouse article on Knowledge Management by Todd Little:

[http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Knowledge.htm Knowledge Management]

----
Here is a follow-up e-mail from Todd Little:[mailto:todd.little@simpson.edu email me]

Tim,
Thank you for your comments. Here are some further thoughts. I would be glad to answer any further questions you might have regarding the processes.

Basically, knowledge management can be defined as doing what is needed to get the most out of your resources of knowledge. It helps the organization make knowledge available wherever and whenever it is needed by those who need to have access. The driving forces behind knowledge management can be associated with different areas.

One is related to the increasing complexity of the organizational environment itself. Advising is becoming more involved than simply providing course selection to students; it involves a much deeper perspective of the student which demands additional knowledge to be obtained and utilized. Another force is related to decreasing the time it takes to respond to situations. If the knowledge-base can be made available to others, it can help speed up the response time simply by allowing the user to access the knowledge-base directly. A third force attributing to knowledge management approaches is to help reduce the time it takes to “train” a new employee due to employee turnover. Each employee has certain knowledge on how to complete their day-to-day tasks, but when that knowledge goes with the employee if he/she leaves the organization. By capturing the employee’s expertise, a new employee can review and use the previous knowledge.

The use of information technology helps facilitate the sharing and capturing of knowledge as well. From simple group Email lists to more sophisticated support systems, knowledge can be disseminated among the members at an increasing speed and efficiencies through the use of technology. A knowledge management system can be developed by integrating the technology with the social structures of the organization. Due to this, it is important to first understand those social structures. This can be accomplished through conversations, observations, discussions, surveys, etc. which highlight how one entity communicates with another entity. In fact, the organizational structure and culture make up a vast portion of the knowledge management system whereas technology plays a smaller role. Technology is there to support the processes; not drive and dictate how the process should operate.

When going through the process of knowledge management, I would recommend developing an understanding of the different types of knowledge and recognize the various locations of knowledge. As academic advisors, we obtain knowledge from a variety of resources so it is important to recognize these resources. These can include not only manuals and college catalogs, but the people themselves become resources. People often make decisions or complete tasks simply through intuition. How do these people know how to accomplish the task or make the decision? What knowledge do they have and how did they use it? Try to build a model which works through understanding declarative and procedural knowledge areas. Declarative knowledge generally focuses on beliefs and intuition whereas procedural knowledge focuses on the sequencing of steps and actions to reach a desired goal or outcome. Also, when listing the knowledge sources, there are three main areas to consider: People, Artifacts, and Organizational Entities. People includes individuals and groups; artifacts include the technologies available, databases, manuals, documents, practices; and entities include the committees, groups, etc.

As the process moves forward, the decision on how to best share the knowledge will need to be made. The transfer can occur via individuals, groups, departments, and may vary depending on the type of knowledge which needs to be shared. There are a variety of technologies which support these efforts. Electronic discussion groups, databases, videoconferencing, information repositories for example. Use of wiki pages, web portals, and collaboration tools can be techniques.

Whatever techniques get utilized, it is important to consider the impact on organizational culture, organization structure, technology infrastructure, common definitions, and physical environment. The organization needs to understand the value of the knowledge management; consider hierarchical organization structure; be realistic on what technology is available within the organization; develop a common definition of knowledge areas; and be aware of the physical environment such as the design of buildings, offices, meeting rooms, and spaces which facilitate sharing.

Any step toward knowledge management is a good step to take. It can be quite complex and challenging to begin grasping the overall concept of knowledge management and it can definitely seem overwhelming. Taking the first steps within your own department can be a good starting point and makes the process a bit easier to handle. I would recommend exploring multiple means of sharing knowledge and try to maintain some flexibility. If you begin the process of using Wikis as the source of knowledge dissemination, consider how people will access the information and what types of information will be accessed. Can video be included? For example, perhaps an accomplished advisor could digitally record their responses to certain situations or frequently asked questions and then post the video to the site? How about a discussion or chat room? How about weekly or monthly meetings between multiple departments in order to share and learn more about their areas?

Consider security measures as well. If using a Wiki-based environment, will it be viewable by anyone online or can it only be accessed within the campus network? Would users need a password to enter the site? Who can make changes? Will you have a wiki-manager or can anyone post anything? What happens if the Wiki is no longer used? Can the information be transferred easily into a new environment?

There are plenty of other items to discuss as well, but my short response turned into a much longer one! Start with the understanding of what knowledge exists and where it can be found. Develop methods on how it can be accessed, captured, stored, and then shared.

Thanks and have a great day!
Todd

Todd Little, M.A, M.S.
Assistant Dean, Student Academic Achievement
Director, Hawley Academic Resource Center
Simpson College
701 North C Street, Indianola, IA 50125
PHONE: 515-961-1524

Sandbox:Prezi

2010-07-28T23:32:42Z

TimConklin:

Here's a link to the Prezi.com presentation I'm working on: [http://prezi.com/jj-d-1zimcsw/nacada-summer-institute-notes-ideas-and-inspirations/ Prezi]

----
Here is a link to our Knowledge Management page: [[Sandbox:Kohlrabi]]

Sandbox:Prezi

2010-07-28T23:11:47Z

TimConklin: Created page with 'Here's a link to the Prezi.com presentation I'm working on: [http://prezi.com/jj-d-1zimcsw/nacada-summer-institute-notes-ideas-and-inspirations/ Prezi]'

Here's a link to the Prezi.com presentation I'm working on: [http://prezi.com/jj-d-1zimcsw/nacada-summer-institute-notes-ideas-and-inspirations/ Prezi]

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T22:11:15Z

TimConklin:

This is Tim's test page on Knowledge Management.

----

Here is an e-mail from Brian Lamb:

Hi Timothy,

I was forwarded your query, as Cindy (cc'd) is away.. In terms of wiki writing guidelines, I will provide a few links below. In a sense, the basics of communication do not change so much in wiki environments... there are some principles of how to negotiate changes, etc... that are worth thinking about... but not sure if that's what your concern is.

This is probably the best one:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics/Hands_On:_6_Things_To_Know 6 Things to Know]

More here:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics MediaWiki Basics]

We have a designated "wiki gardener" this summer, and he can not only help out with more specialized issues, but would also be interested in hearing about any questions you have.

His page is here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/User:WikiAdministrator Wiki Gardener]

I don't have Will's email, but can get it... or you can add your questions by editing the "Discussion" tab on the WikiAdministrator page linked above.

Hope this helps, please do not hesitate to follow up.

Brian

Brian Lamb
Manager, Emerging Technologies and Digital Content Office of Learning Technology The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
[http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian My Blog] [http://olt.ubc.ca OLT]

----
Here's an e-mail from Cindy Underhill:

Sorry for the late response to this – just back from vacation and catching up!

We don’t have any style guidelines as such. Since wiki pages are used for such different purposes and projects, larger projects often define their own guidelines.

That said, we do have some basic guidelines for contributing to the wiki: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Contributing Contributing Guidelines]

If you would like an example of some beginning guidelines (that we are using with our learning commons project), you can refer to them here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/Learning_Commons:Writing_Guidelines Beginning Guidelines]
I hope that is somewhat helpful to you.

Take care,

Cindy

----
Here is a link to the NACADA Clearninghouse article on Knowledge Management by Todd Little:

[http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Knowledge.htm Knowledge Management]

----
Here is a follow-up e-mail from Todd Little:[mailto:todd.little@simpson.edu email me]

Tim,
Thank you for your comments. Here are some further thoughts. I would be glad to answer any further questions you might have regarding the processes.

Basically, knowledge management can be defined as doing what is needed to get the most out of your resources of knowledge. It helps the organization make knowledge available wherever and whenever it is needed by those who need to have access. The driving forces behind knowledge management can be associated with different areas.

One is related to the increasing complexity of the organizational environment itself. Advising is becoming more involved than simply providing course selection to students; it involves a much deeper perspective of the student which demands additional knowledge to be obtained and utilized. Another force is related to decreasing the time it takes to respond to situations. If the knowledge-base can be made available to others, it can help speed up the response time simply by allowing the user to access the knowledge-base directly. A third force attributing to knowledge management approaches is to help reduce the time it takes to “train” a new employee due to employee turnover. Each employee has certain knowledge on how to complete their day-to-day tasks, but when that knowledge goes with the employee if he/she leaves the organization. By capturing the employee’s expertise, a new employee can review and use the previous knowledge.

The use of information technology helps facilitate the sharing and capturing of knowledge as well. From simple group Email lists to more sophisticated support systems, knowledge can be disseminated among the members at an increasing speed and efficiencies through the use of technology. A knowledge management system can be developed by integrating the technology with the social structures of the organization. Due to this, it is important to first understand those social structures. This can be accomplished through conversations, observations, discussions, surveys, etc. which highlight how one entity communicates with another entity. In fact, the organizational structure and culture make up a vast portion of the knowledge management system whereas technology plays a smaller role. Technology is there to support the processes; not drive and dictate how the process should operate.

When going through the process of knowledge management, I would recommend developing an understanding of the different types of knowledge and recognize the various locations of knowledge. As academic advisors, we obtain knowledge from a variety of resources so it is important to recognize these resources. These can include not only manuals and college catalogs, but the people themselves become resources. People often make decisions or complete tasks simply through intuition. How do these people know how to accomplish the task or make the decision? What knowledge do they have and how did they use it? Try to build a model which works through understanding declarative and procedural knowledge areas. Declarative knowledge generally focuses on beliefs and intuition whereas procedural knowledge focuses on the sequencing of steps and actions to reach a desired goal or outcome. Also, when listing the knowledge sources, there are three main areas to consider: People, Artifacts, and Organizational Entities. People includes individuals and groups; artifacts include the technologies available, databases, manuals, documents, practices; and entities include the committees, groups, etc.

As the process moves forward, the decision on how to best share the knowledge will need to be made. The transfer can occur via individuals, groups, departments, and may vary depending on the type of knowledge which needs to be shared. There are a variety of technologies which support these efforts. Electronic discussion groups, databases, videoconferencing, information repositories for example. Use of wiki pages, web portals, and collaboration tools can be techniques.

Whatever techniques get utilized, it is important to consider the impact on organizational culture, organization structure, technology infrastructure, common definitions, and physical environment. The organization needs to understand the value of the knowledge management; consider hierarchical organization structure; be realistic on what technology is available within the organization; develop a common definition of knowledge areas; and be aware of the physical environment such as the design of buildings, offices, meeting rooms, and spaces which facilitate sharing.

Any step toward knowledge management is a good step to take. It can be quite complex and challenging to begin grasping the overall concept of knowledge management and it can definitely seem overwhelming. Taking the first steps within your own department can be a good starting point and makes the process a bit easier to handle. I would recommend exploring multiple means of sharing knowledge and try to maintain some flexibility. If you begin the process of using Wikis as the source of knowledge dissemination, consider how people will access the information and what types of information will be accessed. Can video be included? For example, perhaps an accomplished advisor could digitally record their responses to certain situations or frequently asked questions and then post the video to the site? How about a discussion or chat room? How about weekly or monthly meetings between multiple departments in order to share and learn more about their areas?

Consider security measures as well. If using a Wiki-based environment, will it be viewable by anyone online or can it only be accessed within the campus network? Would users need a password to enter the site? Who can make changes? Will you have a wiki-manager or can anyone post anything? What happens if the Wiki is no longer used? Can the information be transferred easily into a new environment?

There are plenty of other items to discuss as well, but my short response turned into a much longer one! Start with the understanding of what knowledge exists and where it can be found. Develop methods on how it can be accessed, captured, stored, and then shared.

Thanks and have a great day!
Todd

Todd Little, M.A, M.S.
Assistant Dean, Student Academic Achievement
Director, Hawley Academic Resource Center
Simpson College
701 North C Street, Indianola, IA 50125
PHONE: 515-961-1524

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T21:27:40Z

TimConklin:

This is Tim's test page on Knowledge Management.

----

Here is an e-mail from Brian Lamb:

Hi Timothy,

I was forwarded your query, as Cindy (cc'd) is away.. In terms of wiki writing guidelines, I will provide a few links below. In a sense, the basics of communication do not change so much in wiki environments... there are some principles of how to negotiate changes, etc... that are worth thinking about... but not sure if that's what your concern is.

This is probably the best one:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics/Hands_On:_6_Things_To_Know 6 Things to Know]

More here:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics MediaWiki Basics]

We have a designated "wiki gardener" this summer, and he can not only help out with more specialized issues, but would also be interested in hearing about any questions you have.

His page is here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/User:WikiAdministrator]

I don't have Will's email, but can get it... or you can add your questions by editing the "Discussion" tab on the WikiAdministrator page linked above.

Hope this helps, please do not hesitate to follow up.

Brian

Brian Lamb
Manager, Emerging Technologies and Digital Content Office of Learning Technology The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
[http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian] [http://olt.ubc.ca]

----
Here's an e-mail from Cindy Underhill:

Sorry for the late response to this – just back from vacation and catching up!

We don’t have any style guidelines as such. Since wiki pages are used for such different purposes and projects, larger projects often define their own guidelines.

That said, we do have some basic guidelines for contributing to the wiki: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Contributing

If you would like an example of some beginning guidelines (that we are using with our learning commons project), you can refer to them here: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Learning_Commons:Writing_Guidelines

I hope that is somewhat helpful to you.

Take care,

Cindy

----
Here is a link to the NACADA Clearninghouse article on Knowledge Management by Todd Little:

[http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Knowledge.htm]

----
Here is a follow-up e-mail from Todd Little:

Tim,
Thank you for your comments. Here are some further thoughts. I would be glad to answer any further questions you might have regarding the processes.

Basically, knowledge management can be defined as doing what is needed to get the most out of your resources of knowledge. It helps the organization make knowledge available wherever and whenever it is needed by those who need to have access. The driving forces behind knowledge management can be associated with different areas.

One is related to the increasing complexity of the organizational environment itself. Advising is becoming more involved than simply providing course selection to students; it involves a much deeper perspective of the student which demands additional knowledge to be obtained and utilized. Another force is related to decreasing the time it takes to respond to situations. If the knowledge-base can be made available to others, it can help speed up the response time simply by allowing the user to access the knowledge-base directly. A third force attributing to knowledge management approaches is to help reduce the time it takes to “train” a new employee due to employee turnover. Each employee has certain knowledge on how to complete their day-to-day tasks, but when that knowledge goes with the employee if he/she leaves the organization. By capturing the employee’s expertise, a new employee can review and use the previous knowledge.

The use of information technology helps facilitate the sharing and capturing of knowledge as well. From simple group Email lists to more sophisticated support systems, knowledge can be disseminated among the members at an increasing speed and efficiencies through the use of technology. A knowledge management system can be developed by integrating the technology with the social structures of the organization. Due to this, it is important to first understand those social structures. This can be accomplished through conversations, observations, discussions, surveys, etc. which highlight how one entity communicates with another entity. In fact, the organizational structure and culture make up a vast portion of the knowledge management system whereas technology plays a smaller role. Technology is there to support the processes; not drive and dictate how the process should operate.

When going through the process of knowledge management, I would recommend developing an understanding of the different types of knowledge and recognize the various locations of knowledge. As academic advisors, we obtain knowledge from a variety of resources so it is important to recognize these resources. These can include not only manuals and college catalogs, but the people themselves become resources. People often make decisions or complete tasks simply through intuition. How do these people know how to accomplish the task or make the decision? What knowledge do they have and how did they use it? Try to build a model which works through understanding declarative and procedural knowledge areas. Declarative knowledge generally focuses on beliefs and intuition whereas procedural knowledge focuses on the sequencing of steps and actions to reach a desired goal or outcome. Also, when listing the knowledge sources, there are three main areas to consider: People, Artifacts, and Organizational Entities. People includes individuals and groups; artifacts include the technologies available, databases, manuals, documents, practices; and entities include the committees, groups, etc.

As the process moves forward, the decision on how to best share the knowledge will need to be made. The transfer can occur via individuals, groups, departments, and may vary depending on the type of knowledge which needs to be shared. There are a variety of technologies which support these efforts. Electronic discussion groups, databases, videoconferencing, information repositories for example. Use of wiki pages, web portals, and collaboration tools can be techniques.

Whatever techniques get utilized, it is important to consider the impact on organizational culture, organization structure, technology infrastructure, common definitions, and physical environment. The organization needs to understand the value of the knowledge management; consider hierarchical organization structure; be realistic on what technology is available within the organization; develop a common definition of knowledge areas; and be aware of the physical environment such as the design of buildings, offices, meeting rooms, and spaces which facilitate sharing.

Any step toward knowledge management is a good step to take. It can be quite complex and challenging to begin grasping the overall concept of knowledge management and it can definitely seem overwhelming. Taking the first steps within your own department can be a good starting point and makes the process a bit easier to handle. I would recommend exploring multiple means of sharing knowledge and try to maintain some flexibility. If you begin the process of using Wikis as the source of knowledge dissemination, consider how people will access the information and what types of information will be accessed. Can video be included? For example, perhaps an accomplished advisor could digitally record their responses to certain situations or frequently asked questions and then post the video to the site? How about a discussion or chat room? How about weekly or monthly meetings between multiple departments in order to share and learn more about their areas?

Consider security measures as well. If using a Wiki-based environment, will it be viewable by anyone online or can it only be accessed within the campus network? Would users need a password to enter the site? Who can make changes? Will you have a wiki-manager or can anyone post anything? What happens if the Wiki is no longer used? Can the information be transferred easily into a new environment?

There are plenty of other items to discuss as well, but my short response turned into a much longer one! Start with the understanding of what knowledge exists and where it can be found. Develop methods on how it can be accessed, captured, stored, and then shared.

Thanks and have a great day!
Todd

Todd Little, M.A, M.S.
Assistant Dean, Student Academic Achievement
Director, Hawley Academic Resource Center
Simpson College
701 North C Street, Indianola, IA 50125
PHONE: 515-961-1524

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T21:22:02Z

TimConklin:

This is Tim's test page on Knowledge Management.

----

Here is an e-mail from Brian Lamb:

Hi Timothy,

I was forwarded your query, as Cindy (cc'd) is away.. In terms of wiki writing guidelines, I will provide a few links below. In a sense, the basics of communication do not change so much in wiki environments... there are some principles of how to negotiate changes, etc... that are worth thinking about... but not sure if that's what your concern is.

This is probably the best one:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics/Hands_On:_6_Things_To_Know]

More here:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics]

We have a designated "wiki gardener" this summer, and he can not only help out with more specialized issues, but would also be interested in hearing about any questions you have.

His page is here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/User:WikiAdministrator]

I don't have Will's email, but can get it... or you can add your questions by editing the "Discussion" tab on the WikiAdministrator page linked above.

Hope this helps, please do not hesitate to follow up.

Brian

Brian Lamb
Manager, Emerging Technologies and Digital Content Office of Learning Technology The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
[http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian] [http://olt.ubc.ca]

----
Here's an e-mail from Cindy Underhill:

Sorry for the late response to this – just back from vacation and catching up!

We don’t have any style guidelines as such. Since wiki pages are used for such different purposes and projects, larger projects often define their own guidelines.

That said, we do have some basic guidelines for contributing to the wiki: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Contributing

If you would like an example of some beginning guidelines (that we are using with our learning commons project), you can refer to them here: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Learning_Commons:Writing_Guidelines

I hope that is somewhat helpful to you.

Take care,

Cindy

----
Here is a link to the NACADA Clearninghouse article on Knowledge Management by Todd Little:

[http://www.nacada.ksu.edu/Clearinghouse/AdvisingIssues/Knowledge.htm]

----
Here is a follow-up e-mail from Todd Little:

Tim,
Thank you for your comments. Here are some further thoughts. I would be glad to answer any further questions you might have regarding the processes.

Basically, knowledge management can be defined as doing what is needed to get the most out of your resources of knowledge. It helps the organization make knowledge available wherever and whenever it is needed by those who need to have access. The driving forces behind knowledge management can be associated with different areas.

One is related to the increasing complexity of the organizational environment itself. Advising is becoming more involved than simply providing course selection to students; it involves a much deeper perspective of the student which demands additional knowledge to be obtained and utilized. Another force is related to decreasing the time it takes to respond to situations. If the knowledge-base can be made available to others, it can help speed up the response time simply by allowing the user to access the knowledge-base directly. A third force attributing to knowledge management approaches is to help reduce the time it takes to “train” a new employee due to employee turnover. Each employee has certain knowledge on how to complete their day-to-day tasks, but when that knowledge goes with the employee if he/she leaves the organization. By capturing the employee’s expertise, a new employee can review and use the previous knowledge.

The use of information technology helps facilitate the sharing and capturing of knowledge as well. From simple group Email lists to more sophisticated support systems, knowledge can be disseminated among the members at an increasing speed and efficiencies through the use of technology. A knowledge management system can be developed by integrating the technology with the social structures of the organization. Due to this, it is important to first understand those social structures. This can be accomplished through conversations, observations, discussions, surveys, etc. which highlight how one entity communicates with another entity. In fact, the organizational structure and culture make up a vast portion of the knowledge management system whereas technology plays a smaller role. Technology is there to support the processes; not drive and dictate how the process should operate.

When going through the process of knowledge management, I would recommend developing an understanding of the different types of knowledge and recognize the various locations of knowledge. As academic advisors, we obtain knowledge from a variety of resources so it is important to recognize these resources. These can include not only manuals and college catalogs, but the people themselves become resources. People often make decisions or complete tasks simply through intuition. How do these people know how to accomplish the task or make the decision? What knowledge do they have and how did they use it? Try to build a model which works through understanding declarative and procedural knowledge areas. Declarative knowledge generally focuses on beliefs and intuition whereas procedural knowledge focuses on the sequencing of steps and actions to reach a desired goal or outcome. Also, when listing the knowledge sources, there are three main areas to consider: People, Artifacts, and Organizational Entities. People includes individuals and groups; artifacts include the technologies available, databases, manuals, documents, practices; and entities include the committees, groups, etc.

As the process moves forward, the decision on how to best share the knowledge will need to be made. The transfer can occur via individuals, groups, departments, and may vary depending on the type of knowledge which needs to be shared. There are a variety of technologies which support these efforts. Electronic discussion groups, databases, videoconferencing, information repositories for example. Use of wiki pages, web portals, and collaboration tools can be techniques.

Whatever techniques get utilized, it is important to consider the impact on organizational culture, organization structure, technology infrastructure, common definitions, and physical environment. The organization needs to understand the value of the knowledge management; consider hierarchical organization structure; be realistic on what technology is available within the organization; develop a common definition of knowledge areas; and be aware of the physical environment such as the design of buildings, offices, meeting rooms, and spaces which facilitate sharing.

Any step toward knowledge management is a good step to take. It can be quite complex and challenging to begin grasping the overall concept of knowledge management and it can definitely seem overwhelming. Taking the first steps within your own department can be a good starting point and makes the process a bit easier to handle. I would recommend exploring multiple means of sharing knowledge and try to maintain some flexibility. If you begin the process of using Wikis as the source of knowledge dissemination, consider how people will access the information and what types of information will be accessed. Can video be included? For example, perhaps an accomplished advisor could digitally record their responses to certain situations or frequently asked questions and then post the video to the site? How about a discussion or chat room? How about weekly or monthly meetings between multiple departments in order to share and learn more about their areas?

Consider security measures as well. If using a Wiki-based environment, will it be viewable by anyone online or can it only be accessed within the campus network? Would users need a password to enter the site? Who can make changes? Will you have a wiki-manager or can anyone post anything? What happens if the Wiki is no longer used? Can the information be transferred easily into a new environment?

There are plenty of other items to discuss as well, but my short response turned into a much longer one! Start with the understanding of what knowledge exists and where it can be found. Develop methods on how it can be accessed, captured, stored, and then shared.

Thanks and have a great day!
Todd

Todd Little, M.A, M.S.
Assistant Dean, Student Academic Achievement
Director, Hawley Academic Resource Center
Simpson College
701 North C Street, Indianola, IA 50125
PHONE: 515-961-1524

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T21:17:38Z

TimConklin:

This is Tim's test page on Knowledge Management.

Here is an e-mail from Brian Lamb:

Hi Timothy,

I was forwarded your query, as Cindy (cc'd) is away.. In terms of wiki writing guidelines, I will provide a few links below. In a sense, the basics of communication do not change so much in wiki environments... there are some principles of how to negotiate changes, etc... that are worth thinking about... but not sure if that's what your concern is.

This is probably the best one:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics/Hands_On:_6_Things_To_Know]

More here:

[http://wiki.ubc.ca/Documentation:MediaWiki_Basics]

We have a designated "wiki gardener" this summer, and he can not only help out with more specialized issues, but would also be interested in hearing about any questions you have.

His page is here: [http://wiki.ubc.ca/User:WikiAdministrator]

I don't have Will's email, but can get it... or you can add your questions by editing the "Discussion" tab on the WikiAdministrator page linked above.

Hope this helps, please do not hesitate to follow up.

Brian

Brian Lamb
Manager, Emerging Technologies and Digital Content Office of Learning Technology The University of British Columbia
604.313.4726
[http://blogs.ubc.ca/brian] [http://olt.ubc.ca]

----
Here's an e-mail from Cindy Underhill:

Sorry for the late response to this – just back from vacation and catching up!

We don’t have any style guidelines as such. Since wiki pages are used for such different purposes and projects, larger projects often define their own guidelines.

That said, we do have some basic guidelines for contributing to the wiki: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Help:Contributing

If you would like an example of some beginning guidelines (that we are using with our learning commons project), you can refer to them here: http://wiki.ubc.ca/Learning_Commons:Writing_Guidelines

I hope that is somewhat helpful to you.

Take care,

Cindy

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T21:15:25Z

TimConklin:

Sandbox:Kohlrabi

2010-07-28T21:01:15Z

TimConklin: Knowledge Management

This is Tim's test page on Knowledge Management.