Class Processes and Policies
(last revised 19 December 2004)

General

The course aims to introduce you to the basic concepts (Parts 1-3 of the Course Outline) and practices (Parts 4-6) of knowledge management (KM).  Learning processes include readings, short research papers, class exercises and practicums in the workplace, among others.  At the end of the course, you are expected to be able to

  • Define commonly used KM terms
  • Practice or use at least one KM tool
  • Link KM to business results or organizational performance
The course allows for wide latitude in individual initiative and participation in group processes. You can exercise choice in what skills and practices in Parts 4-6 you want to learn.  You can also suggest other topics depending on your personal interests and professional concerns.  I am very open to comments and suggestions on how to better address your needs, as I intend to learn too from this handling this course.

This class website and the K_and_P egroup are also learning experiments for me.  I believe this is the first time a TMC class uses a website and an egroup as part of the learning tools.  Your full participation and feedback would be valuable.

The starting requirements of the course are:

  • An eagerness to learn.
  • You have an email address.  If you have none, we will arrange for you to learn from a classmate how to get and use a free Yahoo or Hotmail address.
  • You can use the Internet.  If you cannot use search engines, evaluate information, download webpages and participate in egroup discussions, we will also arrange for a classmate to mentor you in these skills.
  • Accomplish a short Diagnostic Questionnaire, which I need to know your backgrounds and preparations, and to make arrangements such as mentoring, subjects for short research, process documentation and interviews.
The class will illustrate group learning.  I myself expect to learn.  We all possess much and varied individual knowledge and experiences which we shall tap and synergize for everyone's benefit.  I would like the class to experience and appreciate the reality and usefulness of group knowledge, or knowledge which is a group phenomenon.


Submissions

There is no one final term paper.  You are expected to produce a short Internet research paper and a Practicum paper.  "Short" means the scope is specific enough that you can finish it in 2-3 weeks, it can be written up in 10 pages or less single-spaced, and you can present it to the class 10 minutes or less even without Powerpoint. 

Following a useful practice started in previous classes, you will also be assigned to summarize two articles or book chapters into 2-3 pages of bullet points or short paragraphs.

"I do not want to hear or read about creativity; I want to to be more creative."  "Reading about KM concepts is not enough for me; I want to learn how to use KM tools and apply KM concepts in practice."

If you agree to these kinds of propositions, then you will also agree that listening to lectures is not enough.  Therefore, we will learn both concepts and practice. The aim of the Practicum is to immerse you in a real-life KM application. To ensure usefulness of your Practicum to the organization you belong to, I encourage you to consult your superior on your choice of topic.  

The list of topics from which you can select your Internet research and your Practicum will be announced later.

You may want copies of your classmates' submissions.  For uniformity, a suggested format is described (click HERE).  Email the file to me so I can upload it to the course website.

Discussions at KandP eGroup

An electronic forum, such as a discussion list, newsgroup or eGroup is a KM tool.  It is a venue for exchange of ideas and experiences, questions and answers, sharing of what works well, cross-validation of hypotheses, combining information from various disciplines, etc.  It is a people-to-people means for accessing and transfering knowledge for re-use.

Participation in the eGroup is encouraged but not obligatory.

Many eGroups are open to the public but I chose the KandP eGroup to be by invitation only.  Because the KandP eGroup was created two months ago, there are currently a few starting members who are not UP students but readers of my "Knowledge and People" column at BusinessWorld.  Do not be surprised if they will also join in the discussions.  If they do, it would likely enrich the exchange and so they are most welcome.

To join the eGroup, I need your email address to send you an invitation.  When you receive it via email, a link will be included through which you can register, get your log-in name and password, enter and participate.

Go to KandP eGroup

Grades (last revised 20 June 2010)

I dislike having to give grades.  Unfortunately, grades are still a fact of university life.

Your grade will be based on the quantity and quality of your three submissions submissions (Internet research paper, short research paper and a summarization) and the extent of your participation in class activities. Grade will be computed as follows:

   Summarization
 10%
   Internet/library research
 20%
   Practicum
 50%
   Participation in class activities
 20%
   Total
 100%

If I were you, I will just make sure that I learn as much as I can from the course and then the grade will take care of itself.

  Comments or suggestions are welcome.