From instructional systems design to managing the life cycle of knowledge in organizations

Abstract

This article describes a framework for managing the life cycle of knowledge in organizations. The framework emerges from years of work with the laboratories and facilities that are under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The article begins by describing the instructional systems design (ISD) process and how it is used to identify instructional content. This is followed by discussion of how an organizational intervention delivered by instructional systems design typically is a piecemeal approach to managing the knowledge of the organization. Next, a framework for managing the life cycle of knowledge in organizations is introduced, where the theoretical foundation for the framework, the Collaborative Cognition Model, is described. Afterwards, the other aspects of the framework—including the types of knowledge, types of learners, and reusing and repurposing organizational knowledge—are detailed. Finally, a discussion section presents the framework and future directions for enhancing and extending the framework.