Abstract. In 2001 Kent State University established a graduate level program that granted a Master of Science degree in Information Architecture and Knowledge Management. The Knowledge Management concentration was a cornerstone of that degree program. The Knowledge Management concentration has sustained and thrived over the past ten years, though the path has not always been easy or clear. This case study describes the challenges encountered and the solutions developed over the past ten years. The case study discusses nineteen challenges and their solutions, in hopes that other institutions may benefit from Kent State University's lessons learned and successes.
Keywords: knowledge management education, knowledge management curriculum, course design, experiential learning, student learning models, knowledge management faculty credentials
1. Historical context and evolution
In 2001 the Information Architecture and Knowledge Management Master's program was established at Kent State University. The program was originally conceived as a new and distinct program that focused broadly on information and knowledge, their use and architectures. The program was unique in that it was founded on recognition of the difference between knowledge and information. It was also different from other programs at that time in its intent to be non-sector specific, and to be cross-areas of practice.
The knowledge management concentration was designed around some basic assumptions about knowledge management as a professional discipline. These assumptions provided a good grounding for all aspects of an academic program. They provided stability in a dynamic and evolving professional discipline. Some of the fundamental assumptions include:
* Knowledge Management is interdisciplinary - a strong academic program must draw upon expertise in many disciplines;
* Knowledge management is a profession of practice - students must learn practice, as well as the theory;
* Knowledge management is an emerging field - faculty with academic credentials in knowledge management are scarce;
* Knowledge management research is grounded in practice - this has implications for the traditional faculty model;
* Collaboration between public sector, business and academia is critical to advancing the discipline;
* Knowledge is different from information;
* Knowledge is a universal concept which pertains to and touches everyone and all aspects of life.
The knowledge management program began in 2001 as an on-site, in person program located at the Kent State University campus in Kent Ohio. In 2007 the knowledge program transitioned to a fully-online program. Furthermore, in 2007, there was sufficient interest to warrant the creation of a second academic product - a Graduate Certificate in Knowledge Management. In 2012, the program has grown to close to 100 students, has a faculty of twelve full and part-time instructors, and is engaged in research with public and private organizations.
This case study discusses challenges faced and solutions implemented in five areas, including: (1) Curriculum Scope and Design; (2) Faculty Credentials and Recruitment; (3) Governance and Administration; (4) Learning Models and Delivery Channels; and (5) Student Models. The areas that have posed the most significant challenges are curriculum scope and design, faculty credentials and recruitment, and program governance. Fewer challenges have been encountered in learning models and delivery and student support due to the strong initial grounding. The goal in sharing these lessons learned and successes is to encourage other academic institutions beginning this journey or in progress. Knowledge management is a critical new profession in a 21st century knowledge society and knowledge economy. The more academic programs we have, the more educated professionals we have to offer.
2. Curriculum design and management
Curriculum design and delivery is challenging for several reasons. First, there is no established standard for knowledge management education upon which to design a curriculum. Second, the traditional semester-long academic curriculum model does not align well with the needs of a profession like knowledge management. Third, knowledge management professionals need to learn both "technical" and "behavioral" competencies to be successful in their career. Finally, knowledge management is a practical profession and the curriculum must support practice.
2.1 Challenge 1: No accepted scope and coverage description of the field
Because there is no widely accepted professional standard for knowledge management, we look to the published literature for guidance. The published literature provides a picture of graduate level knowledge management education programs and curricula from the late 1990s through 2008 (Abel and Oxbrow 1999) (Gamal 2000) (Kenner and Fernandex 2011) (Lamphun and Lee 2002) Makkonen Siakas and Vaidza 2011) (Reynolds 2000) (Swanson and Hepner 2011) (Wright Peachey Hemminger 2009). Al-Hamadweh (2005) suggests that most graduate level programs are courses in business intelligence, document and records management, knowledge economy and intellectual capital, organizational learning, and some aspect of data mining or semantics. Chaudhry and Higgins (2003) and Kgigongo-Bukenya and Kaddu (2011) suggest that curricula may be constructed around knowledge foundations, applications, strategies, processes and technologies.
The original Kent State curriculum aligned with these models. However, feedback solicited in 2010 from employers, from students enrolled in and who had graduated from the program suggested the need for a curriculum revision and redirection. The review included extensive interviews with knowledge management thought leaders, critical reviews of successes and failures of current and past programs, conversations with past, present and potential students. We learned two things. First, we learned that business needs have changed and grown. This is because knowledge management is now an integral part of every sector of the economy - it permeates all types of organizations. In 2010 we find a rich set of knowledge professional roles and responsibilities. Some of these roles are strategic, some are aligned with business operations, some are specialized to particular areas of knowledge management, and some are general practice. Second, we heard that most current education programs are designed to train knowledge management directors or executives who may "talk about" but may not "to do or practice" knowledge management.
In 2010, a curriculum review and revision were undertaken. In 2012, the revised curriculum was approved and implemented. The Knowledge Management curriculum is constructed around ten facets of knowledge management theory and practice. The ten facets (Figure 1) were identified through (1) a comprehensive review of the current and historical literature of knowledge management; (2) conversations with and lessons learned from other knowledge management educators and trainers, and (3) extensive consultations with business and organizations who hire knowledge professionals.
The ten facets include: (1) Intellectual Capital and Knowledge Economics; (2) Knowledge Technology; (3) Knowledge Strategy; (4) Knowledge Asset Management; (5) Collaboration and Communities; (6) Organizational Culture and Communications; (7) Organizational Learning; (8) Knowledge Operations; (9) Knowledge Architecture; and (10) Innovation. Each of the ten facets is supported by a limited number of traditional three-credit courses, by several short (1 or 2 credit) courses, and by workshops. A sampling of course topics offered in each of the facets is presented in Figure 2.
Forty-two credits are required to earn the Master of Science degree. Eight courses are core, including: Foundational Principles of Knowledge Management; Economics of Information; Foundations of Document and Records Management; Knowledge Assessment and Evaluation; Organizational Culture, Organizational Learning, Knowledge Organization Systems and Services, and Communities of Practice. The core courses provide students with a deep understanding of the facets. Students may then choose to focus on a particular facet of knowledge management, or design a generalist education.
In a 2012 survey of Knowledge Management educational institutions we found that many of the topics covered in the program electives are also covered by other programs. However, they were most often covered as weekly topics in a single course. The opportunity to undertake a "deep dive" into the topic is rare in current knowledge management programs.
2.2 Challenge 2: Misalignment of traditional course design
Having updated the scope and coverage of the curriculum, our next challenge was to review the design and effectiveness of individual courses. We discovered that each instructor approached course design differently resulting in uneven treatment of theory and practice. There was also a significant amount of redundancy across courses. Furthermore, courses were not sufficiently rigorous to reflect a graduate level degree. As a result, students were not being introduced to the full body of professional knowledge or the extensive professional literature.
Starting in 2011, all new faculty began working from a single course design template. The template derives from good instructional design practices and includes such common elements as: (1) clearly defined learning outcomes; (2) extensive required and recommended readings reflecting a graduate level education and providing students with a strong introduction to the body of knowledge and published literature; (3) a variety of rigorous exercises designed to provide students with not only resource based but also experiential and situational learning opportunities; (4) built in discussion and engagement models among students; and (5) weekly feedback loops from students to instructor and instructor t