[humanmarkup-comment] "growing" an organic knowledge base for thescience of knowledge

[psp <beadmaster@ontologystream.com>]

With respects to everyone, I hope I am not bothering anyone too much..

Please circulate...  and reply to:  http://groups.yahoo.com/group/KMPro

What I have to say here is very important, at least to me.  I have been
saying this for some time.  It is an honest attempt to do something new.

***

There are academic scholars who would participate in a "low cost" virtual
(world wide) education process by leading (even without pay) virtual courses
on areas that should be supporting a new science of knowledge.  All that is
required is a long term plan to create something that does not now exist.
The BCNGroup Charter has this long term plan - and a few other "surprises".


As one of three co-founders (1997) and Director of this small (up to now
function-less foundation) I propose that a process be started that would
evolve into a virtual university (or Foundation) focused solely on Knowledge
Science.  This has been the founders' for two decades.  At first it would be
an EXPERIMENT and thus not governed by any laws except those that would
otherwise govern civil social interaction.  As a declared experiment, the
BCNGroup.org is allowed to make up the social rules to suit the needs of
this new type of institution....  (I think that this is what freedom is all
about, is it not?)

***

Scholars want students above all else, (right?).  The problem has always
been either (1) the absence of quality and functional software to support
distance learning or (2) the issues of infrastructure, administration, and
credit.

The new KM professional organization KMPro has the infrastructure (an
infrastructure that needs to be exercised), the BCNGroup.org has the
administrative ability (and the long developed contacts to scholars who know
this to be an issue) and the BCNGroup.org will not give credit for at least
one year.

There is a clear possibility that four or five first rate scholars, in areas
that are basic to a "liberal arts* understanding of the knowledge sciences,
would immediately participate - if I asked for this effort now.

By "liberal arts* KM, I mean of course, outside of Davenport's book, and
Allee's book or some other core KM book.

The knowledge sciences is in my mind completely separate now from knowledge
management simply because very few in the business community have felt the
need up to understand the phenomenon of human knowledge in any aspect except
as a commodity.


However, if KMPro would support say four virtual courses (starting within
four weeks) then the BCNGroup can make arrangements for the course to be
taught by leading scholars.  They could be KMPro courses, that are
outsourced to BCNGroup... or some other arrangement.  I will take
responsibility for arranging the courses, the schedules and keeping on top
of the process.

An extension of this infrastructure to virtual sessions in conferences is an
easy step, and again there is no accreditation issues - only a conference
fee.  KT 2002 could be the first conference to have one of these (in March
2002), depending on if David Dodds is interested in this.  AND there is good
money in this concept.  What we need is someone with the courage to show
that this will work.  We need to the organizational skills of KMPro, and the
knowledge base of those that I interact with.

The issue now is about what we might expect.

First, if successfully intellectual courses where offered and given, then
this could give the technology that Mike has an open airing.  We could jump
start the more expensive and commercial KMPro course offering, BECAUSE of
the legitimacy that the "liberal art* program gives to the notion that KMPro
has a well rounding offering - and is not just another professional
certification group.  This is PART of the value proposition to KMPro.

If each course was 10 weeks, met once a week using web cams and chat and
PowerPoint's presentations - or what ever - then the intellectual challenge
is likely worth $200 per student - even if there is no credit, only the fad.
If there where 20 students then the income is 4,000.  If there are four
courses, then this is $8,000.  Not a lot of money, but enough for this
experiment.  If the system catches on, I know how to deploy the many to one
system

http://www.ontologystream.com/distanceLearning/learningSystem.htm

without technology by acting as an intermediator between the professor and
the groups of students....  so that most student questions would be filtered
and categorized by an assistant.  In this way perhaps 200 students might
"attend" a single BCNGroup Virtual course.

My prototype of the distance learning system of the State Department was
designed to do just this.

My goal, would be to develop a BCNGroup virtual course offering of 4 new
courses every few months.  Major professors (Harvard psychology department
professor on human memory for example, Berkeley professor in fuzzy logic, a
neural network thought leader, etc)  might contribute time to help build the
infrastructure and to support the principle that Knowledge Science can not
be narrowly defined as the KM literature plus a little bit more....

Ed's own work would qualify, I judge, for some special treatment with a
virtual course on academic issues that support his primary thesis regarding
economic metrics on KM, as would other schools of KM thought.

This is not a for profit proposition, but rather one of intelligence
excellence and innovation.  No certification would be claimed other than a
certificate that stated participation in this experiment.  A no-questions
refund policy would be in place.


Does this sound ok to the folks at KMPro?  How about the community?  Who is
interested?

***

Dick (Ballard)  would you make a comment about the possibility of using a
Mark 2 engine to encode the curriculum developed during virtual course
presentations and then the possibility of "growing" an organic knowledge
base for the science of knowledge, as envisioned in:

http://www.ontologystream.com/distanceLearning/learningSystem.htm

Is this possible?







-----Original Message-----
From: mikeoliveraz [mailto:Mike_Oliver@morningstarsystems.com]
Sent: Friday, January 04, 2002 8:00 PM
To: KMPro@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [KMPro] Re: tools evaluation and services


Yes, there would be several opportunities for revenue, consulting as
well as lead referrals and when we get enough exposure we will likely
get more direct support from vendors wishing to get into that
exposure.

This will also add to the attractiveness of the various courses and
learning environments as there will be a clear return on the
investment.

In addition the value to be had from the courses will be amplified if
the tools used in the courses are constantly re-evaluated so the
courses are always on or close to the leading edge of the available
tools.

--- In KMPro@y..., "psp" <beadmaster@o...> wrote:
> I would think that these tools evaluation and services related to
giving p2p
> and other collaborative tools exposure will be a source of
revenue ..  so
> that KMPro will not depend solely on certification courses.
>
> I have thought that evaluation of tools and deployment exercises
(using a
> methodology and perhaps some apprentice KM students might work well
in an
> environment where companies really do not know what to expect from
KM.)
>
> Rather than hiring a KM position, perhaps companies are interesting
in
> outsourcing in conjunction with an evolving KM practice at KMPro?
>
> Are there consulting services that might come open.  How can we make
> something here work for us in the first quarter of this year?


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