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Faculty Staff Meeting – Web 2.0 Technologies January 16, 2010

Posted by afoote in : Information Systems, Knowledge Management , 1 comment so far

At the beginning of each semester there is a faculty staff meeting to exchange information and discuss new ideas for Stevenson University. The meeting at the beginning of this semester focused on uses of computer technology that are occurring at Stevenson and Web 2.0 technologies that can be used in the classroom.  At www.stevenson.libguides.com/digitaluniversity is a list of all the software and web applications that are available for classroom use. The meeting included a number of presentations about this technology being used at Stevenson and Mr. Steven Engorn did a fabulous presentation on the virtual computer environment that I have commented about in recent blog posts. It appears as if the virtual computer environment is an exciting technology here at Stevenson.

In the IS481 course we use Wikispaces, Mind maps and the discussion board in Blackboard. Wikispaces and the discussion board are used to exchange information. Mind maps are used to not only exchange information, but also to organize ideas and then exchange that organization with others. All of these technologies are about exchanging information, but exchanging information does not necessarily mean exchanging knowledge.

In the IS481, Project and Knowledge Management course, we define knowledge as actionable information. Information being exchanged may not be actionable. The individual must know more than just the information that is being exchanged to make the information into knowledge. How the individual learns that extra piece to turn information into knowledge is education. Education does not only occur in the classroom, but that is what is happening in the classroom at Stevenson University.

These technologies are another very powerful way to acquire information. It is the way that most of our students are obtaining information.  The entire internet is an incredible resource for acquiring information. This is changing the way that students obtain information, but education must take that information and turn it into knowledge for students.