IMS5027

Knowledge management

Offered subject to approval

F Burstein

6 points - 2 hours per week - Second semester - Caulfield - Prerequisites: IMS9001 or equivalent, IMS9003 or equivalent, and IMS9049 or equivalent - Prohibition: SYS5280

Objectives At the completion of this subject students should appreciate the range of meanings applied to the terms knowledge and knowledge management; understand a variety of techniques for representing and manipulating knowledge; appreciate the concepts of ownership and validity of knowledge; be familiar with a range of products that may support knowledge management.

Synopsis This subject aims to present a coherent view of the concepts of knowledge from a variety of perspectives such as artificial intelligence, information and document management, organisational and management theory. This synthesis of views is presented in a context of knowledge management. Students should gain an appreciation of the sources of explicit and implicit knowledge in the organisation and should be aware of current techniques which will permit such knowledge to be modelled and applied within the organisation applied within the organisation's decision-making processes. Topics covered include: views and characteristics of knowledge: knowledge vs data and information, artificial intelligence approaches to modelling knowledge; information management approaches to knowledge; workflow approaches to knowledge management; developing knowledge systems: evaluation of the knowledge requirements of the organisation, knowledge elicitation techniques, techniques for validation of knowledge, strategies for applying knowledge management in organisations.

Assessment Examination: 40% - Essays and practical work: 60%

Recommended texts

Nonaka and Takeuchi The knowledge creating company Oxford University Press, 1995
Diaper D Knowledge elicitation: Principles, techniques and applications Ellis Horwood, 1989
Senge P The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organisation 1990

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