Currently there are plenty of systems in place that are supposed to facilitate learning. However, the time lag between innovation in research and development departments, and the acquisition of knowledge in the areas of marketing and customer support (and other departments in between) still is the critical factor for speeding up the rollout of new product on a high quality level. This can be traced back to discontinuities in the chain of interconnected learning processes. In order to pin down these discontinuities and analyze them further, this chain is conceived as a knowledge maturing process and adequately structured:
In order to make this knowledge maturing process more efficient, we conduct research on the following topics:
- How can the construction of individual knowledge be facilitated by improving personal information management through Semantic Web technologies?
- How can the visibility of artefacts suitable for learning (at the different maturity levels, e.g. entries in discussion forums, wikis, email messages up to didactically prepared learning material) be increased by making systems aware of both the context of the user and the context of artefact creation and usage?
- How can the management of knowledge be more closely aligned with business processes with the help of business-process-oriented knowledge management?
Bibliography
2010
Simone Braun, Christine Kunzmann, Andreas Schmidt
People Tagging & Ontology Maturing: Towards Collaborative Competence Management
In: David Randall and Pascal Salembier (eds.): From CSCW to Web2.0: European Developments in Collaborative Design Selected Papers from COOP08, Computer Supported Cooperative Work vol. , Springer, 2010
Abstract Competence Management approaches suggest promising instruments for more effective resource allocation, knowledge management, learning support, and human resource development in general. However, especially on the level of individual employees, such approaches have so far not been able to show sustain-able success on a larger scale. Piloting applications like expert finders have often failed in the long run because of incomplete and outdated data, apart from social and organizational barriers. To overcome these problems, we propose a collabora-tive competence management approach. In this approach, we combine Web 2.0-style bottom-up processes with organizational top-down processes. We addressed this problem as a collaborative ontology construction problem of which the con-ceptual foundation is the Ontology Maturing Process Model. In order to realize the Ontology Maturing Process Model for competence management, we have built the AJAX-based semantic social bookmarking application SOBOLEO that offers task-embedded competence ontology development and an easy-to-use interface. Following evolutionary prototyping within the design-based research methodology we conducted two field experiments in parallel with the system development in order to test the approach of people tagging in general and to explore motivational and social aspects in particular.
2009
Andreas Schmidt, Knut Hinkelmann, Tobias Ley, Stefanie Lindstaedt, Ronald Maier, Uwe Riss
Conceptual Foundations for a Service-oriented Knowledge and Learning Architecture: Supporting Content, Process and Ontology Maturing
In: Sebastian Schaffert and Klaus Tochtermann and Tassilo Pellegrini (eds.): Networked Knowledge - Networked Media: Integrating Knowledge Management, New Media Technologies and Semantic Systems, Springer, 2009, pp. 79-94
Abstract Effective learning support in organizations requires a flexible and personalized toolset that brings together the individual and the organizational perspective on learning. Such toolsets need a service-oriented infrastructure of reusable knowledge and learning services as an enabler. This contribution focuses on conceptual foundations for such an infrastructure as it is being developed within the MATURE IP and builds on the knowledge maturing process model on the one hand, and the seeding-evolutionary growth-reseeding model on the other hand. These theories are used to derive maturing services, for which initial examples are presented.
Andreas Schmidt
Situationsbewusste Informationsdienste für das arbeitsbegleitende Lernen
2009
Zunehmend werden Lernen und Arbeiten als miteinander verwobene Aktivitäten verstanden, was von existierenden Ansätzen nur unzureichend unterstützt wird, da sie kaum die Arbeitssituation berücksichtigen, in der sie benutzt werden. In dieser Arbeit geht es darum, eine Methodik für die Lernunterstützung zu erarbeiten und auf technischer Ebene situationsbewusste Informationsdienste mittels Kompetenzontologien und Kontextmanagement zu konzipieren und in realen Unternehmensumgebungen zu evaluieren.
2008
Andreas Schmidt
Knowledge Maturing and the Participatory Enterprise
In: Online Educa 2008, Berlin, December 3-5, 2008
Andreas Schmidt, Knut Hinkelmann, Stefanie Lindstaedt, Tobias Ley, Ronald Maier, Uwe Riss
Conceptual Foundations for a Service-Oriented Knowledge & Learning Architecture: Supporting Content, Process, and Ontology Maturing
In: 8th International Conference on Knowledge Management (I-KNOW 08), Graz, 2008
Abstract The knowledge maturing model views learning activities as embedded into, interwoven with, and even indistinguishable from everyday work processes. Learning is understood as an inherently social and collaborative activity. The Knowledge Maturing Process Model structures this process into five phases: expressing ideas, distributing in communities, formalizing, ad-hoc learning and standardization. It is applicable not only for content but also to process knowledge and semantics. In the MATURE IP two toolsets will be develop that support the maturing process: a personal learning environment and an organisation learning environment integrating the levels of individuals, communities and organisation. The development is guided by the SER theory of seeding, evolutionary growth and reseeding and is based on generally applicable maturing services.
2007
Simone Braun, Andreas Schmidt, Valentin Zacharias
Ontology Maturing with Lightweight Collaborative Ontology Editing Tools
In: Norbert Gronau (eds.): 4th Conference on Professional Knowledge Management - Experiences and Visions, Workshop on Productive Knowledge Work (ProKW 07), GITO, 2007, pp. 217-226
Abstract Ontology building is an important prerequisite for state-of-the-art semantic technologies for knowledge worker support. But ontology engineering methods have so far neglected the early phase of ontology building where a conceptualization only exists rather informally and underlies continuous evolution through collaboration and interaction within the community. We have to view ontology building as a maturing process that requires collaborative editing support and the integration into the daily work processes of knowledge workers. In spirit of current Web 2.0 applications, we present an AJAX-based lightweight ontology editor as a first approach to this problem.
Simone Braun, Andreas Schmidt, Andreas Walter, Valentin Zacharias
The Ontology Maturing Approach to Collaborative and Work-Integrated Ontology Development: Evaluation Results and Future Directions
In: Luke Liming Chen and Philippe Cudré-Mauroux and Peter Haase and Andreas Hotho and Ernie Ong (eds.): Emergent Semantics and Ontology Evolution 2007. Proceedings of the First International Workshop on Emergent Semantics and Ontology Evolution (ESOE-2007), ISWC 2007, Busan, Korea, November 12, 2007., CEUR Workshop Proceedings vol. 292, 2007, pp. 5-18
Abstract Ontology maturing as a conceptual process model is based on the assumption that ontology engineering is a continuous collaborative and informal learning process and always embedded in tasks that make use of the ontology to be developed. For supporting ontology maturing, we need lightweight and easy-to-use tools integrating usage and construction processes of ontologies. Within two applications – ImageNotion for semantic annotation of images and SOBOLEO for semantically enriched social bookmarking – we have shown that such ontology maturing support is feasible with the help of Web 2.0 technologies. In this paper, we want to present the conclusions from two evaluation sessions with end users and summarize requirements for further development.
Simone Braun, Andreas Schmidt, Valentin Zacharias
SOBOLEO: vom kollaborativen Tagging zur leichtgewichtigen Ontologie
In: Tom Gross (eds.): Mensch & Computer - 7. Fachübergreifende Konferenz - M&C 2007, Oldenbourg Verlag, 2007, pp. 209-218
Abstract Bisher gibt es kein integriertes Werkzeug, das sowohl die kollaborative Erstellung eines Indexes relevanter Internetressourcen („Social Bookmarking“) als auch einer gemeinsamen Ontologie, die zur Organisation des Indexes genutzt wird, integriert unterstützt. Derzeitige Werkzeuge gestatten entweder die Erstellung einer Ontologie oder die Strukturierung von Ressourcen entsprechend einer vorgegebenen, unveränderlichen Ontologie bzw. ganz ohne jegliche Struktur. In dieser Arbeit zeigen wir, wie sich kollaboratives Tagging und kollaborative Ontologieentwicklung vereinen lassen, so dass jeweilige Schwächen vermieden werden und die Stärken einander ergänzen. Wir präsentieren SOBOLEO, ein System, das kollaborativ und web-basiert die Erstellung, Erweiterung und Pflege von Ontologien und gemeinsamer Lesezeichensammlung ermöglicht und gleichzeitig die Annotierung von Internetressourcen mit Konzepten aus der erstellten Ontologie unterstützt.
Simone Braun, Andreas Schmidt
Wikis as a Technology Fostering Knowledge Maturing: What we can learn from Wikipedia
In: 7th International Conference on Knowledge Management (IKNOW '07), Special Track on Integrating Working and Learning in Business (IWL), 2007
Abstract The knowledge maturing theory opens an important macro perspective within the new paradigm of work-integrated learning. Especially wikis are interesting socio-technical systems to foster maturing activities by overcoming typical barriers. But so far, the theory has been mainly based on anecdotal evidence collected from various projects and observations. In this paper, we want to present the results of a qualitative and quantitative study of Wikipedia with respect to maturing phenomena, identifying instruments and measures indicating maturity. The findings, generalized to enterprise wikis, open the perspective on what promotes maturing on a method level and what can be used to spot maturing processes on a technology level.
Andreas Schmidt
Microlearning and the Knowledge Maturing Process: Towards Conceptual Foundations for Work-Integrated Microlearning Support
In: Martin Lindner and Peter A. Bruck (eds.): Micromedia and Corporate Learning. Proceedings of the 3rd International Microlearning 2007, Innsbruck, Austria, June 2007, Innsbruck University Press, 2007, pp. 99-105
Abstract As a response to the new flexibility in work environments, work-integrated learning on demand is an appropriate form of learning which is in line with microlearning ideas. But in a world of microcontent, we need to consider that not all content is appropriate for everybody. The knowledge maturing process allows for distinguishing between different levels of maturity, and technical learning support based on the maturity level can provide automated guidance to make microlearning more efficient.
Simone Braun, Andreas Schmidt, Andreas Walter, Gabor Nagypal, Valentin Zacharias
Ontology Maturing: a Collaborative Web 2.0 Approach to Ontology Engineering
In: Natasha Noy and Harith Alani and Gerd Stumme and Peter Mika and York Sure and Denny Vrandecic (eds.): Proceedings of the Workshop on Social and Collaborative Construction of Structured Knowledge (CKC 2007) at the 16th International World Wide Web Conference (WWW2007) Banff, Canada, May 8, 2007, CEUR Workshop Proceedings vol. 273, 2007
Abstract Most of the current methodologies for building ontologies rely on specialized knowledge engineers. This is in contrast to real-world settings, where the need for maintenance of domain specific ontologies emerges in the daily work of users. But in order to allow for participatory ontology engineering, we need to have a more realistic conceptual model of how ontologies develop in the real world. We introduce the ontology maturing processes which is based on the insight that ontology engineering is a collaborative informal learning process and for which we analyze characteristic evolution steps and triggers that have users engage in ontology engineering within their everyday work processes. This model integrates tagging and folksonomies with formal ontologies and shows maturing pathways between them. As implementations of this model, we present two case studies and the corresponding tools. The first is about image-based ontology engineering (introducing so-called imagenotions), the second about ontology-enabled social bookmarking (SOBOLEO). Both of them are inspired by lightweight Web 2.0 approaches and allow for realtime collaboration.
Ronald Maier, Andreas Schmidt
Characterizing Knowledge Maturing: A Conceptual Process Model for Integrating E-Learning and Knowledge Management
In: Norbert Gronau (eds.): 4th Conference Professional Knowledge Management - Experiences and Visions (WM '07), Potsdam, GITO, 2007, pp. 325-334
Abstract Knowledge management and e-learning both attempt to support learning and knowledge transfer in organizations. However, they aim at knowledge of different degrees of maturity. Central hypothesis of this paper is that the approaches can be integrated on the basis of a process that explicitly aims at designing the transitions of knowledge along varying degrees of maturity. The knowledge maturing process is presented as a conceptual model for explaining and analyzing disruptions in the inter-individual flow of knowledge within organizations. These disruptions can be attributed to a fragmented systems landscape and separated organizational units that foster knowledge of different degrees of maturity. The paper presents criteria for a characterization of this process model and discusses its implications for the design of learning support systems.
Hans-Jörg Happel, Andreas Schmidt
Knowledge Maturing as a Process Model for Describing Software Reuse
In: 4th Conference Professional Knowledge Management - Experiences and Visions (WM '07), Potsdam, Workshop on Learning Software Organizations (LSO 07), GITO, 2007, pp. 155-164
Abstract Software reuse has become a major topic in software engineering since reusing artifacts has an important effect on the cost and quality of software products. Accordingly, understanding and managing the mechanisms of software reuse is important for every organization that develops software. In this paper we describe a knowledge maturing process in software engineering and use it to analyze two cases of reusable software artifacts. We argue that the "reusability" of a software artifact is not just an immanent property of the artifact itself, but depends on the "maturity" of the knowledge the artifact embodies. We show that the notion of knowledge maturing can serve as a useful lens for understanding reuse processes and suggest further investigations towards a more holistic concept of reusability.
2005
Andreas Schmidt
Knowledge Maturing and the Continuity of Context as a Unifying Concept for Knowledge Management and E-Learning
In: Proceedings of I-KNOW 05, Graz, Austria, 2005
Abstract Although both e-learning and knowledge management are about facilitating learning in organization, the major obstacle to bring both of them together can be traced back to different paradigms of learning, resulting from the different nature of the knowledge they are dealing with. In this paper, a knowledge maturing process is presented to illustrate the change of nature and the discontinuities. This lays the foundation for a better understanding. In order to overcome the discontinuities, the consideration of context is proposed, which offers the required continuity.
