Applying Multimedia Technologies To Facilitate Knowledge Sharing Facilitation in Learning Organization By Rusli Abdullah, Shamsul Sahibudin*, Rose Alinda Alias* & Mohd Hasan Selamat Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Teknologi Maklumat Universiti Putra Malaysia 43400 UPM Serdang Tel: 603 - 8946 6518 Email:
[email protected] * Fakulti Sains Komputer dan Sistem Maklumat Universiti Teknologi Malaysia 81310 UTM Skudai
Abstract The need for effective of managing knowledge in organizations has been largely recognized. Most of the organizations today are looking on this matter as a very important issue and try to share and search the best way to manage this knowledge for sustain a high rate of continuous improvement. While multimedia technologies is a component in knowledge management system (KMS) that related to the process of knowledge capture, re-use, searching and presenting to the people at the right time in the best and faster ways that based on the simplest command given to the system in order to getting the relevant knowledge. This paper will discuss on how the knowledge could be organized in multimedia format in order to facilitate knowledge sharing for the benefits of communities of practice (CoPs) in learning organization (LO) as well as to promote knowledge sharing cultured, stored, captured and presenting the it to the CoP’s members. This paper also will examine the concept, technique and approach of multimedia-based application in the context KMS implementation in of LO and discusses a variety issues and challenges that related with it, so that it will help to increase productivity and quality as well as the effectiveness of the organizations. Keywords: Groupware, Knowledge Sharing, Knowledge Management System, Multimedia System, and Learning Organization
1.0 Introduction In the course of only few decades, Information Technology (IT) has come to play an important, and often as vital a role in almost all sectors of organized societies especially in term of knowledge as a weapon power. Today, many organizations, from commercial enterprises to government agencies and research institutions, are focusing on knowledge management by implementing a groupware computing and/or video conferencing environment to expedite projects of research and development, reduce travel expenses, support informed, up-to-the-minute business decision making, convey high-impact messages and to maintain their competitive edge. Knowledge sharing is a particular kind of IT as enabler that intended to support collaborative knowledge working among team members of particular project as opportunities and challenges into the organizations. While multimedia technologies is a component in knowledge management system (KMS) that related to the process of knowledge capture, re-use, searching and presenting to the people at the right time in the best and faster ways that based on the simplest command given to the system in order to getting the relevant knowledge. This paper will discusses on how the knowledge could be organized in multimedia format in order to facilitate knowledge sharing for the benefits of communities of practice (CoPs) in learning organization (LO) as well as to promote knowledge sharing cultured, stored, captured and presenting the it to the CoP’s members.
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This paper also will discusses the concept, technique and approach of multimedia-based application and technology in the context KMS implementation in of LO and discusses a variety issues and challenges that related with it, so that it will help to increase productivity and quality as well as the effectiveness of the organizations. Multimedia system in knowledge management has played a major role in term of the storage, transmission, interchange, presentation, representation, and perception aspects to enhance knowledge sharing in organizations through development of a richer multimedia communications medium to help transfer reflective learning from past and present mistakes among CoPs in the organizations. The detail of multimedia aspect that related with KM is discuss as follow: - Storage - refers to the type of physical means to store data, such as magnetic tape, hard disk, optical disk, DVDs, CD-ROMs, etc. - Transmission - refers to the type of physical means of transmitting data, such as coaxial cable, twisted pair, fibre, etc. - Interchange - refers to the means of interchanging data; this can be by storage media, transmission media, or a combination of both. - Presentation - is used to describe the type of physical means to reproduce information to the user or to acquire information from the user; for example, speakers, video windows, immersive environment etc. - Representation - is related to how information is described in an abstract form for use within an electronic system. For example, to present text to the user, the text can be coded in raster graphics, in graphics primitives or in simple ASCII characters. Thus the presentation can be the same but with different representations. Other examples of representation media are ASN.1 and SGML. - Perception - is used to describe the nature of information as perceived by the user; for example speech, music and film. We use the term multimedia to denote the property of handling a variety of representation media in an integrated manner. The more means of transmission used and the greater the interactivity, the more ‘multimedia’ a system is. Alavi (2000) discuss the multimedia could be one of aspects in the technology – based is used in KM system together with information-based and culture-based. The detail of her discussion about multimedia requirement in technology-based as shown at Figure 1 below. Information-based
Technology-based
Culture-based
Actionable information Categorizing of data Corporate yellow pages Filtered information Free Text concepts People information archive Readily accessible information
Data mining Data warehouse Exec. Info. System Expert System Intranet Multimedia Search Engine Smart systems
Collective learning Continuous learning Intellectual property cultivation Learning organization
Figure 1: Multimedia of technology-based requirement
2.0 Knowledge Management and Knowledge Management System Knowledge is an asset with four characteristics according to McKinsey, (1998), (1) Extraordinary leverage. It is not subject to diminishing returns. Fixed cost to create but not to manufacture or distribute. (2) Fragmentation, Leakage. Over time, knowledge assets become less valuable as they become more widely known. To be successful, knowledge must be refreshed to keep it as a source of competitive advantage. (3) Uncertain Value. Value is difficult to estimate and steady growth in knowledge may suddenly halt. (4) Uncertain Value Sharing. Can’t predict in alliances who are will capture the lion’s share. This knowledge would be more useful if it could be shared and used among the community that works together using collaborative technology. According to Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) as shown as at Table 1, knowledge can also be categorized into two types that are explicit and tacit knowledge.
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Table 1: Two types of knowledge Explicit Knowledge (Objective)
Tacit Knowledge (Subjective)
Knowledge of rationality (mind) Sequential Knowledge (there and then) Digital Knowledge (theory)
Knowledge of experiences (body) Simultaneous Knowledge (here and now) Analog Knowledge (practice)
Tacit knowledge is obtained by internal individual processes and stored in human beings. Such knowledge is sometimes described as Experience, Reflection, Internalization or individual talent. Explicit knowledge is possible to store in a mechanical or technological device, such as documents or databases. The management of knowledge is very important in the 2000’s because it help organizations become more competitive advantage and effective working through sharing and re-using knowledge in an organization. Knowledge management evolution cycle consists of five phases (Rus and Lindvall, 2002): • • • • •
Originate/create knowledge-members of an organization develop knowledge through learning, problem solving, innovation, creativity, and importation from outside sources. Capture/ acquire knowledge- members acquire and capture information about knowledge in the explicit forms. Transform/organize knowledge—in written material and knowledge bases. Deploy/ access knowledge –organizations distribute through education, training program, and automated knowledge base system or expert networks. Apply knowledge- KM aims to make knowledge available whenever it is needed.
In the market place of e-business, knowledge management (KM) initiatives are used for to systematically leverage information and expertise to improve organizational responsiveness, innovation, competency and efficiency (RICE) (Lotus, 2001). There are some more reasons why knowledge should be managed properly. Among the reasons are information overload, technology advancement, increased professional specialization, competition, workforce mobility and turnover, and capitalization of organizational knowledge. Based on this, Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995), proposed four KM interactions that build on the distinctions between tacit and explicit knowledge, which was first described by Polanyi (1966). The IT facilities provided in each interaction are summarized in Table 2 below as follows: Table 2: The IT facilities provided in each interaction Tacit to tacit knowledge via Socialization Knowledge exchange: one-to-one, one-tomany, many-to-many Traditional knowledge exchange Medium: same place/same time, face to face meetings Today’s technologies: teleconferencing, desktop video conferencing tools, E-meetings, village wells, synchronous collaboration Explicit to tacit knowledge via Internalization This form of knowledge creation depends on an individual’s ability to make sense out of explicit information Today technologies: visualization
Tacit to explicit knowledge via Externalization Knowledge exchange: one-to many Traditional knowledge exch. medium: created periodic reports, white papers Today technologies: Electronic mail (E-mail), broadcasting information via distribution lists, answering questions, annotation Explicit to explicit knowledge via Combination Today technologies: E-mail, GroupWare, Homepages
Based on consolidation of literature reviewed on KM (Choo, 1998a; Choo, 1998b; Davenport, 1998; Davenport, et all, 1997, 1998; Leonard Barton, 1998; Myers 1996; Nonaka, 1995), a KM lifecycle as shown in Figure 2 is developed. This KM life cycle is depictes in a simplified way, a strict sequence of identifying, creating, transferring, storing, (re)-using, and unlearning of language (Rosemann and Chan, 2002).
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Knowledge Acquisition
Knowledge Organization / storage
Knowledge Distribution
Knowledge application
a) Knowledge Acquisition Figure 2: Knowledge Management Process Life Cycle A KMS is a system that must be developed in the organization. There are many ways to describe a KMS, but Meso and Smith, (2000), proposed as show in Figure 3, it consist of three components: technology, function and knowledge. This KMS involves the processes for acquiring or collecting, organizing, disseminating or sharing knowledge in multimedia-based among peoples in certain institution. TECHNOLOGIES
FUNCTION
Collaboration
KNOWLEDGE
Know - how
E-task management USING KNOWLEDGE
Know - what
Messaging Know - why Video Conferencing & Visualization ORGANIZATIONAL KM SYSTEM
Self-Motivated Creativity
Group Decision Support Personal Tacit Web Browsing FINDING KNOWLEDGE
Data Mining
Cultural Tacit Organizational Tacit
Search & Retrieval CREATING KNOWLEDGE
Intelligent Agents Document Management
Regulatory Assets
PACKAGING KNOWLEDGE
Figure 3: The technical perspective of a knowledge management system The multimedia knowledge that stored in KM system repositories could be retrieve back using keyword for a text based and smart imaging system for object based as WYSIWIYG (What You See Is What You Get) as well as GUI-Based (a graphical user interface based on icons and pictures and related menus) instead of using a text based; uses a mouse as well as a keyboard as an input device). Table 2 has shown how the knowledge in multiple format of multimedia based could be access via rules of query condition that based on text, speech, sketch, and humming aspects. Table 2: Knowledge Query Retrieval Matrix Doc Query Speech Sketch Text Humming Sound
Text
Image
X
X X
Music
Video
X X
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3.0 A Case Study of KM System By Applying Multimedia Technologies in Learning Organization As a case study, a prototype of KM system by applying multimedia technologies is developed in order to demonstrated on how these multimedia of knowledge own by the communities of LO such as lecturers, administrators and others, that has to deposit their knowledge into the system by using knowledge map as well as how this knowledge could be disseminated among themselves. The system is developed using the leading groupware software that is Lotus Notes. The knowledge of the system could be access by using the same platform in Lotus Notes or through World Wide Web (WWW) with normal browser like Internet Explorer. 3.1 KM System Configuration The KM system configuration is based on the client server computing where the system was allowed the communities to use it by using Internet / Wide Area Network (WAN) or Intranet / Local Area Network (LAN) environment to access and sharing knowledge. The system or applications in term setting up the client and server as well as multimedia database system that used multimedia capabilities is shown at Figure 4 below.
Application1 (Server) Management1 (Client)
c
Application3 (Server)
Database
b
d
d
a
a User1 (Client)
Management2 (Client)
c
User2 (Client) c Faculty (LAN #1)
Faculty (LAN #2)
d Application2 (Server) Legend: a. Access/Creation b. Data Capture/Restore c. Job Assignment/Monitoring d. Application Services e. Remote Access
Faculty (LAN #3)
e a
Management3 (Client)
User3 (Client) (Firewall) INTERNET/WAN
Figure 4: KM System Configuration 3.2 KM System Interface In term of the KM system interface, the system was designed that allowed the CoPs to share their knowledge either in explicit or tacit form via graphical user interface (GUI) based environment. By using this GUI based environment, people are easily notify by sound or icon in term of new generation or updating knowledge in the multimedia knowledge repository. This event could be done using agent technology other tools that will trigger the new incoming knowledge and notifying the CoPs via messaging or voice system. In this case, the technologies of multimedia will a play its roles in term of voice or sound system as an alert system among the community. The main page system and the general knowledge searching system interface of the system is shown at Figure 5 below.
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Figure 5: The main page and System Interface for Knowledge Searching Beside that, the knowledge that in multiple files format likes JPEG or AVI is easily to share among the CoPs when they are deposited into the knowledge repositories as mention as above. It is also like other file documents like DOC, RTF and any others are similar and easy to work collaboratively using this technology. The example of knowledge searching interface for the expertise and presenting in it in the form of photographical image offered is shown at Figure 6 below.
Figure 6: Text based searching and photographic object of attachment file In term of file attachment as an element of the multimedia-based system, the interface system could be view as Figure 7 and Figure 8 below.
Figure 7: Text based searching and document of object attachment file
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Figure 8: Text based searching and Notes-Based of object attachment file
4.0 Multimedia Knowledge Management Issues and Challenges In order to ensure multimedia KM in the organizations is getting more benefits and solved several problems that encountered, some of the key issues and challenges are highlighted and discuss further in the following paragraph. 4.1Issues of Multimedia Application in KM In KM system implementation, there are some multimedia issues of KM that could be taken as consideration in order to encourage people to share their knowledge among the CoPs in the organizations. Among the strategic issues are: -
Users friendly of system interface and ease of use – These are the elements that KMS should be considered in order to encourage and motivate members to use the KM system.
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More presentable with GUI based – This is another features of the system that to make system more attractive and easy to understand of the knowledge that they got from the system.
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Icon-based environment is more preferred because the knowledge could be representing in imaging system.
-
A variety type knowledge could be stored in video clip content and this features will help CoPs more understanding what they want to share and easy to learn anything among themselves.
-
Organizations of layout presentation in term of systematically arrangement and menu driven facilities.
4.2 Challenges of Multimedia KM The development of multimedia technology is to provide a digital experience that closely resembles that of the physical world. Biological forms provide what are, perhaps, the most sophisticated multimedia KM systems should be considered all this technology of multimedia deployment and also the current status of
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digital communication in order to ensure fast delivery of knowledge as our challenges in the next era. This evolution of digital communication is shown at Table 3. -
Visualization - Each eye has 127m rods and cones with 1m nerve fibres connected to the brain. Neurons can fire every millisecond. Eye - brain link data transmission rate is about 1 Gbit/sec.
-
Aural - Each ear has 23,500 hairs in the cochlea, around 30,000 nerve fibres to the brain. They transmit approximately 30 Mbit to the brain if all were firing. In practice, data rate is around 100 Kbit/sec. Human has a hearing range of 20Hz - 20 kHz, whale 2Hz - 20 kHz, dolphin 20Hz - 200 kHz, and bat 16Hz - 200 kHz.
-
Tactile - A human has approximately 5 million (compared with 127m on eyes) sensors on the skin sensing at about a few Mbit/sec. Finger tips have nerve endings 1mm apart.
-
Sense - Human can detect around 10,000 different smells at about a few Kbit/sec. Maximum range for smell: Human -1m, Dog -100 m, Moth -5 km, Elephant -3 km. The tongue can only sense four tastes sweet, sour (H+ hydrogen ions), salt (Na+ sodium ions), and bitter. A few tens of bits/sec are sent to the brain. A snake can taste its way around. Table 3: Current Status of Digital Communication Technology Type of Digital Comm. Technology
Speed
GSM Phone Group 3 Fax ISDN Modem
8 kb/s 9.6 k/bs 64 k/bs
ISDN – 30 Ethernet ATM CD-ROM DVD Hard Disc
2 mb/s 10 – 100 mb/s 100 mb/s 150 kb/s > 1 mb/s 3 mb/s
5.0 Results and Discussions Multimedia can represent knowledge in more ways than text or speech can. Multimedia combines text, audio, visual, graphic, and dynamic elements, such as animation and video. This presents learners and lecturers with unique learning resources that can be used in a wide variety of ways to stimulate various forms of learning. The most significant feature of the multiple forms of media is that they allow for the presentation of knowledge in numerous ways. Thus students can learn about abstract principles through text and can see the application of those principles through an animation or a video example. This presents the opportunity for deeper levels of understanding, particularly if the presentational qualities are fully and deliberately exploited to achieve this purpose and are combined with the potential for learner interaction. Well-designed applications of multimedia then can do two things: they can enable learners to come to understandings more quickly than through more conventional classroom or textual media; and perhaps more significant, they can change how we come to know or to understand and hence what we know and understand. In other words, a learner may have an image or a mental “construction” that is far richer than an abstract verbal understanding. From an educational perspective, it is essential that learners can move confidently between concrete and abstract understandings and not become locked into one or the other. This does not happen by accident. Multimedia needs to be carefully designed to facilitate the development of this kind of thinking. Thus the role of the lecturer is by no means diminished; indeed, such design requires highly skilled lecturers working in teams with multimedia producers.
Learning organization (LO) do have a significant level of multimedia knowledge management activities, and it is important to recognize these, and use them as foundations for further development, rather than to invent a whole new paradigm. LO and their staff must recognize and respond to their changing role in a
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multimedia knowledge-based society. In order to assess the challenges that LO face in embedding multimedia knowledge management, we use Davenport's four types of knowledge management objectives as a lens through which to view LO: the creation and maintenance of multimedia knowledge repositories; improving knowledge access; enhancing multimedia knowledge environment; and, valuing knowledge. The multimedia knowledge management system of the LO, need its own framework. LO consisted of human who manage it, administrative, conductive research, and teaching and studying; consisted of the multimedia technology that is needed by the human to convey and distribute their content that is ideas of knowledge. It consists of the content development, which is the knowledge management process. The proposed model of multimedia knowledge management for the LO is shown in Figure 8 below. In this case, the KM system also set up is based on LO in a selected university in Malaysia. This KMS development will take into consideration of the technical perspectives as stated above, especially those related to technologies of its multimedia knowledge process and content development as well as multimedia interface of KMS implementation.
Multimedia Knowledge Process -
Acquisition Map / Filtering Store Dissemination Use / Apply
People -
Students Lecturers Administrators Researchers Support Staffs
Multimedia Technology Interface Multimedia KM System
-
Visualization Communication / Broadcasting Searching / Retrieval Sharing / Notification
Multimedia Content Development - Data - Federation of Data (.doc, RTF .nsf, etc) - Text - TXT - Image – GIF, JPEG - Sound - RAM - Audio - WAV
Figure 8: The Components of Multimedia Knowledge Management Model for LO
6.0 Conclusion The multimedia technological-based opportunities to improve interaction and increase collaboration of CoPs are expanding rapidly. They will be seized by many organizations especially at LO, whether or not they amount to ‘knowledge management’ according to an ideal definition. Knowledge management provides a rationale for managing multimedia corporate intranets capabilities, which are burgeoning. Organizations or LO that do not deploy that rationale may more quickly experience information overload and other detrimental effects from multimedia technology of intranets. However, organizations that pursue knowledge management policies are more likely to succeed if they complement multimedia technologicalbased developments together with the development of collaborative strategies. The encouragement of employee-run networks or communities of practice seems to be one successful strategy, providing both employees and the company with rewards from knowledge management within the their workspace.
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