Saturday, January 31, 2009

Information Skills Needed

I've been doing a good deal of research/work lately with knowledge management. One of my concerns is that the focus so often seems to be only on output: where can we store knowledge? What sort of database can we build for it? Do we need more procedures manuals?

Here is a piece out of Millikin University on the information skills needed by those entering knowledge work roles. Apart from providing an opposite-side-of-the-coin view, it points to new tasks for educators and trainers in developing workers.

"The seven information skills highlighted are: (1) retrieving information; (2) evaluating information; (3) organizing information; (4) collaborating around information; (5) analyzing information; (6) presenting information; and (7) securing information. For each information skill, there is a discussion of its significance, the logical skills required for its effective use, and its technological components."

2 comments:

Michael Hughes said...

Thanks for the post and the link. I wrote an article several years ago that described how technical communicators were redefining themselves as knowledge creators: article

Nagtad Host said...

I'm trying to get my college students to work on their cognitive skills. My tests are now open book/note. I give a study guide, and warn that studying is a good idea. Many students do quite well. A few still miss 15-20%. It seems to me these students are missing their knowledge management database. They don't know where to find info. In this Cognitive Age, no one can possess ALL needed info. One HAS to know where and how to find it.

I hope I can help my students find their database.