KM Coursework: Pooled Judgments of Experts

Abstract

Knowledge management (KM) is maturing as a field of study with an interdisciplinary orientation, being taught in a variety of schools by the faculty from diverse affiliations. In this context, KM curriculum design becomes a major challenge for educators. This study was designed with the purpose of analyzing the perceptions of senior KM academics and KM experts about the relevance and value of KM constructs in graduate programs. KM curriculum content was proposed based on an earlier study of KM modules (Rehman and Sumait, 2010). KM modules: An analysis of course. In Paper presented at the Pre-conference on LIS Education in Developing Countries, 75th Annual IFLA Conference, Milan, Italy; revised version accepted for publication in Journal of Information and Knowledge Management, 2010) about what is being taught in the KM programs. We also used findings of a validated set of KM taxonomy that indicated both the structure of the discipline and disciplinary content expressed in standard terminology (Tan, 2010; Chaudhry and Lee, 2009). Intellectual structure of knowledge management. The International Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Change Management, (9)). Two hundred KM academics and experts were identified internationally as potential participants. They were requested to respond to a Web-based survey, indicating their perceptions about the value and relevance of KM statements/modules. Fifty-one of them responded to the survey. The results have indicated that the academics placed a great deal of emphasis on the conceptual foundations of the discipline for its inclusion in the curriculum. KM modules related to KM processes, knowledge sources, KM technology, knowledge organisation, and knowledge sharing received a clear emphasis. It is expected that the findings of this study will be useful for those engaged in curriculum design or revision.