Designing Knowledge Management Systems for Teaching and Learning with Wiki Technology

Journal of Information Systems Education, Fall 2005 by Raman, Murali, Ryan, Terry, Olfman, Lorne

5. DISCUSSION AND LESSONS LEARNED

This case study was conducted to gain experience from using wiki technology in a classroom setting to support teaching and learning. The intention of implementing the wiki technology in the knowledge management class was to gain a better understanding of how this technology could be used to support teaching and learning in courses such as knowledge management through the process of knowledge discovery. The following paragraphs summarize the key lessons learned from this study, from the perspective of the instructor.

5.1 Planning and Training

Planning and training on how to use a new technology to support the teaching and learning process is required before any new technology is introduced in the classroom. Students should be trained to use features within a particular technology before the technology is used in the teaching and learning process. Use of the technology should be planned

well ahead and integrated into the overall course design. This would include issues such as making sure that the students are familiar with the technology introduced (Benbunan-Fich 1999) and have a clear definition of grading policies tied to knowledge contribution in a given system (Hein 1998).

Training on the effective use of the technology would be an ongoing requirement. Students are bound to ask how particular features of a system/technology work. Wiki technology is different from simpler technologies such as email in that the skills required to use the technology may not necessarily be acquired instantaneously. The idea that the instructor had for the class was for the students to discover for themselves what features of the technology can support knowledge discovery.

The version of the wiki technology used in this class can support a variety of functions. Not all of these features can be learned instantaneously or can be used without technical support. The system was not customized to enable students to quickly understand how each feature can be used to support knowledge discovery effectively.

In this context, although a technology can offer features that support collaborative knowledge creation and sharing, some level of planning for how these features should be used, coupled with training on how to use them effectively, might be required before the technology is introduced in a classroom environment. This lesson supports the students' view that while the objectives of using the wiki technology were clear, some training on how to use the features effectively to support the process of knowledge discovery was required.

5.2 Instructor's Familiarity with the Technology

The instructor was not familiar with all features of the wiki technology. This was the first time the instructor had used wiki technology as part of his course delivery. Based on discovery learning, the instructor had decided to allow students to discover for themselves how the technology would support knowledge discovery, using the wiki technology as a tool. He allowed the students to take the lead and made his intentions and ideas explicit in the class syllabus. The idea of using wiki technology based on the principles of discovery learning was feasible, albeit risky at the same time. The case study indicates that the students lacked initiative and the enthusiasm to discover for themselves how best to maximize the value potential of wiki technology.