Personal knowledge development in online learning:a model for measuring externalisation, combination and internalisation

This paper presents a model for measuring personal knowledge development in online learning environments. It is based on Nonaka‘s SECI model of organisational knowledge creation. It is argued that Socialisation is not a relevant mode in the context of online learning and was therefore not covered in the measurement instrument. Therefore, the remaining three of SECI‘s knowledge conversion modes, namely Externalisation, Combination, and Internalisation were used and a measurement instrument was created which also examines the interrelationships between the three modes. Data was collected using an online survey, in which online learners report on their experiences of personal knowledge development in online learning environments. In other words, the instrument measures the magnitude of online learners‘ Externalisation and combination activities as well as their level of internalisation, which is the outcome of their personal knowledge development in online learning.

Knowledge transfer in website design:exploring the processes and benefits of design collaboration for non-creative Micros

This thesis explores the interaction between Micros (<10 employees) from non-creative sectors and website designers ("Creatives") that occurred when creating a website of a higher order than a basic template site. The research used Straussian Grounded Theory Method with a longitudinal design, in order to identify what knowledge transferred to the Micros during the collaboration, how it transferred, what factors affected the transfer and outcomes of the transfer including behavioural additionality. To identify whether the research could be extended beyond this, five other design areas were also examined, as well as five Small to Medium Enterprises (SMEs) engaged in website and branding projects. The findings were that, at the start of the design process, many Micros could not articulate their customer knowledge, and had poor marketing and visual language skills, knowledge core to web design, enabling targeted communication to customers through images. Despite these gaps, most Micros still tried to lead the process. To overcome this disjoint, the majority of the designers used a knowledge transfer strategy termed in this thesis as ‘Bi-Modal Knowledge Transfer’, where the Creative was aware of the transfer but the Micro was unaware, both for drawing out customer knowledge from the Micro and for transferring visual language skills to the Micro. Two models were developed to represent this process. Two models were also created to map changes in the knowledge landscapes of customer knowledge and visual language – the Knowledge Placement Model and the Visual Language Scale. The Knowledge Placement model was used to map the placement of customer knowledge within the consciousness, extending the known Automatic-Unconscious -Conscious model, adding two more locations – Peripheral Consciousness and Occasional Consciousness. Peripheral Consciousness is where potential knowledge is held, but not used. Occasional Consciousness is where potential knowledge is held but used only for specific tasks. The Visual Language Scale was created to measure visual language ability from visually responsive, where the participant only responds personally to visual symbols, to visually multi-lingual, where the participant can use visual symbols to communicate with multiple thought-worlds. With successful Bi-Modal Knowledge Transfer, the outcome included not only an effective website but also changes in the knowledge landscape for the Micros and ongoing behavioural changes, especially in marketing. These effects were not seen in the other design projects, and only in two of the SME projects. The key factors for this difference between SMEs and Micros appeared to be an expectation of knowledge by the Creatives and failure by the SMEs to transfer knowledge within the company.

Representing human expertise by the OWL web ontology language to support knowledge engineering in decision support systems

Clinical decision support systems (CDSSs) often base their knowledge and advice on human expertise. Knowledge representation needs to be in a format that can be easily understood by human users as well as supporting ongoing knowledge engineering, including evolution and consistency of knowledge. This paper reports on the development of an ontology specification for managing knowledge engineering in a CDSS for assessing and managing risks associated with mental-health problems. The Galatean Risk and Safety Tool, GRiST, represents mental-health expertise in the form of a psychological model of classification. The hierarchical structure was directly represented in the machine using an XML document. Functionality of the model and knowledge management were controlled using attributes in the XML nodes, with an accompanying paper manual for specifying how end-user tools should behave when interfacing with the XML. This paper explains the advantages of using the web-ontology language, OWL, as the specification, details some of the issues and problems encountered in translating the psychological model to OWL, and shows how OWL benefits knowledge engineering. The conclusions are that OWL can have an important role in managing complex knowledge domains for systems based on human expertise without impeding the end-users' understanding of the knowledge base. The generic classification model underpinning GRiST makes it applicable to many decision domains and the accompanying OWL specification facilitates its implementation.

Intercultural Learning and Entrepreneurship

Report published in the Proceedings of the National Conference on "Education and Research in the Information Society", Plovdiv, May, 2014

Business statistics using EXCEL and SPSS

'Takes the challenging and makes it understandable. The book contains useful advice on the application of statistics to a variety of contexts and shows how statistics can be used by managers in their work.' - Dr Terri Byers, Assistant Professor, University Of New Brunswick, Canada A book about introductory quantitative analysis for business students designed to be read by first- and second-year students on a business studies degree course that assumes little or no background in mathematics or statistics. Based on extensive knowledge and experience in how people learn and in particular how people learn mathematics, the authors show both how and why quantitative analysis is useful in the context of business and management studies, encouraging readers to not only memorise the content but to apply learning to typical problems. Fully up-to-date with comprehensive coverage of IBM SPSS and Microsoft Excel software, the tailored examples illustrate how the programmes can be used, and include step-by-step figures and tables throughout. A range of ‘real world’ and fictional examples, including "The Ballad of Eddie the Easily Distracted" and "Esha's Story" help bring the study of statistics alive. A number of in-text boxouts can be found throughout the book aimed at readers at varying levels of study and understanding •Back to Basics for those struggling to understand, explain concepts in the most basic way possible - often relating to interesting or humorous examples •Above and Beyond for those racing ahead and who want to be introduced to more interesting or advanced concepts that are a little bit outside of what they may need to know •Think it over get students to stop, engage and reflect upon the different connections between topics A range of online resources including a set of data files and templates for the reader following in-text examples, downloadable worksheets and instructor materials, answers to in-text exercises and video content compliment the book.

Knowledge representation and evaluation an ontology-based knowledge management approach

Competition between Higher Education Institutions is increasing at an alarming rate, while changes of the surrounding environment and demands of labour market are frequent and substantial. Universities must meet the requirements of both the national and European legislation environment. The Bologna Declaration aims at providing guidelines and solutions for these problems and challenges of European Higher Education. One of its main goals is the introduction of a common framework of transparent and comparable degrees that ensures the recognition of knowledge and qualifications of citizens all across the European Union. This paper will discuss a knowledge management approach that highlights the importance of such knowledge representation tools as ontologies. The discussed ontology-based model supports the creation of transparent curricula content (Educational Ontology) and the promotion of reliable knowledge testing (Adaptive Knowledge Testing System).

Tudáshasználat és sikeresség- tudásteremtés és -használat a magyarországi borvidékeken (Knowledge-use and success – Knowledge-creation and use on the Hungarian wine-districts)

A cikkben a magyarországi borágazatra vonatkozóan vizsgáljuk a tudáshasználat és sikeresség összefüggését. Magyarország az elmúlt évtizedben elmaradt a magasabb tudást megtestesítő prémium- és szuperprémium- borok irányába mutató világpiaci trendtől. Ennek hátterében vizsgálataink szerint a szőlő- és borágazatban elengedhetetlen és állandóan fejlődő tudás nem eléggé intenzív használata is meghúzódhat. Noha a tudás használata és terjedése ugyan jelentős tényező a különféle vállalkozások sokféleségének magyarázatában, de nem egyértelműen szignifikáns a többféle módon mért sikeresség alakításában. Ugyanakkor azt is megállapíthatjuk, hogy a magyar vállalkozások a tudás saját berken belüli gondozásával és adekvát felhasználásával piaci sikereket érhetnek el. _____ The paper examines the relationship between the use of specific knowledge and success among the Hungarian grape growers and wine makers. In the recent decade Hungary has been left behind by the world trends represented increasing share of premium and superpremium wines (which materialise higher knowledge) in export development. According to the authors’ survey there might be in behind the non-appropriate use and management of knowledge and skills which would be ‘condition sine qua non’ for wine making. However the use and spread of skills is a basic component in explaining the differences of variation among the companies, it is not unambiguous in formulating the business success measured in different indicators. At the same time the authors can conclude that the Hungarian wine enterprises – keeping the idea generation as well as its further development, elaboration and adequate use within the frame of the company – can achieve market success.