KMbeing

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb): Multiple Contributions & Multi-Production Of New Knowledge

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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) & Social Media

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on August 7, 2012

As we look for ways to engage and motivate people to share knowledge to make the world a better place, social media technologies like blogs and Twitter are becoming important knowledge tools to go beyond traditional learning and knowledge environments.

Knowledge To Put Things In Perspective Through Social Media

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on July 26, 2012

In the everyday rhythm of life there will always be good days and bad days. Some days we will feel like our knowledge is making a difference in the world – other days we will often feel like our knowledge is unimportant or ignored – or we may even feel stupid with no knowledge to contribute. Just like the waves of the ocean that ebb and flow – a deep, inner conviction that sharing knowledge every day to make the world a better place will help you weather the storms of insecurities, fears and worries that lash at the feelings that your knowledge is insignificant, and help you recognize that everyone’s knowledge can create change to make the world a better place.

We live in a world where we can connect our individual knowledge and learn from the knowledge of others – thanks to the power of the Internet and social media. Never before in the history of humanity has such tools been so immediate and powerful in communicating so effectively and so vastly. Something like Twitter for example has reshaped the way we can share knowledge and create social benefit and human understanding around the globe on a daily basis. That’s an amazing thing to remember.

Each day, I am reminded of how powerful this can be when I read first-hand tweets about the devastation and war-torn struggles in far-away places from my own, but can connect and communicate with these people through my own and others’ tweets and blogs. I can give them hope for a better future and they can teach me humility and appreciation to count my daily blessings in comparison. I can share my knowledge of the importance of knowledge sharing for social benefit and they can teach me strength in daily conviction to overcome adversity.

For each of us: tomorrow is a promise to no one! Sadly, there always seems to be new reminders of this. No matter where we live on this planet – that applies to all of us. That is something that all of us share. Yet, knowledge is also something that all of us can share to bring change for a better tomorrow.

I once heard someone say there are people who are “ocean personalities” in this world. In their inner depths they are not defeated by the crashing waves that happen to them at the surface, but can teach us through their deep convictions. The towering waves of circumstances cannot reach them when they go deep within to seek the peace that surpasses all understanding. While the surface of life is in turmoil they can find an inner calmness to see them through. This is not only knowledge to learn from – but wisdom for all of us. This is what Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) is all about. When is the last time you stepped back to think about this in your own life? When is the last time you mobilized knowledge in this way?

Is it possible to share individual knowledge to make the world a better place? What a wonderful part of life sharing knowledge is – and what great opportunities we have to do it every day from our everyday personal experiences through the power of social media. It’s always there – it’s just not in the newspaper headlines or newscasts, not on entertainment shows or reality programming. It’s in our everyday opportunities to connect with each other’s knowledge in each individual life when we take the time to connect online and share knowledge with others from around the globe to make the world a better place for everyone.

Knowledge sharing for social benefit can come only when we see what really matters and what really is not significant in our lives when we compare ourselves and share our knowledge with others from around the world. Losing a job or a personal possession is quite a personal blow – but when compared to the possibility of losing your life, your home or your security – it really puts things in perspective.

The daily possibilities of sharing our diversity of knowledge in this world are there for each of us – yet we often keep our own personal knowledge locked away, rarely to be communicated with others beside us, let alone, around the world. We let our own circumstances determine how we feel without thinking about the greater tragedies of others who are dealing with far greater difficulties than our own.

The important thing to remember is that knowledge sharing can put these things in perspective, bring greater human understanding and create possibilities of social benefit for everyone. So, get tweeting, get blogging, get sharing knowledge with others around the globe to make the world a better place!

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Change Is Good For Knowledge

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on May 3, 2012

We often don’t want things to change. We want the same old and comfortable things, the same and regular routines, the reliable beliefs and knowledge, the enjoyable jobs, the trustful and loving relationships, the same friends, the innocent children, the enjoyable types of music that reminds us of the “good old days” – and the familiar neighbourhoods that always stay the same.

I’m often torn between the desire to have things stay the same and finding new things in my life that may bring challenges, new perspectives and growth. But as we know – nothing stays the same – not even knowledge. This is what knowledge mobilization is all about. When we want things to stay the same it brings to mind someone who is intolerant of change, intolerant of others – and intolerant of a diversity of knowledge.

We live in a world filled with a diversity of people and a diversity of knowledge. We need to learn to accept that growth is about being open to change based on the concept of accepting others as they are at any given time – with knowledge that may be different from our own.

It’s important for us to learn to combine our knowledge for social benefit rather than trying to exert our will on anything to try to get it not to change so it will stay the same as what we think it should be. When we accept others and their knowledge as they are at any given time, their value and their uniqueness are clear to us – and we don’t feel a need to keep things the same for our sake.

When we combine such diversity of knowledge for social benefit we begin to deepen understanding, eliminate fear and intolerance, and move towards making the world a better place.

When I think of all the places I have travelled in the world and all the people I have been privileged to meet, I know that all of the diversity of knowledge that I have experienced – and continue to experience – has made me a better person. But we don’t have to be world travellers going to a multitude of countries to share knowledge for social benefit. We are fortunate to be living in a world where we can connect to each other and to the diversity of knowledge in this world thanks to the power of the Internet and social media.

Being open to diverse knowledge, connecting it to our own by combining knowledge, and changing knowledge for social benefit through knowledge mobilization is a unique skill that we all can learn. When we give up trying to see how our own knowledge is “better” based on our own intolerant social lenses, we learn to combine knowledge for social benefit that can change the world and make it a much happier place for everyone.

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Individual & Global Knowledge

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on April 13, 2012

In my Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) KMbeing blogs I often talk about the concepts of individual and global knowledge to make the world a better place. Knowledge is something that everyone has that is active in all disciplines, fields, nations, locations, systems and individuals lives. No one person or country should have exclusivity to knowledge if the ultimate use of knowledge is to make the world a better place.

But far too often, certain disciplines, fields, nations, locations, systems or individuals think they do – especially in developed countries. This is particularly true when we consider what can be called the birthplace of all humanity – Africa.

In a previous KMbeing blog, I wrote about the use of Global Research Universities or GRUs, and I strongly recommended the concept of a portable GRU in the palm of your hand to connect our individual knowledge globally. I stated that in 2009 – according to textually.org, Africa’s digital technology was exploding across the continent as smart phone technology was increasing as much as 500 per cent. A more recent 2011 article states that Africa is now the second largest mobile phone market.

It still makes sense as a goal of higher education – and individual knowledge sharing/mobilization in general – to connect individually/globally within and from impoverished and developing countries by encouraging knowledge mobilization (KMb). Promoting such knowledge sharing through mobile technology makes the world a better place.

No doubt, Africa and other developing countries will continue to see a rise in the use of digital technology. As more individuals around the world have this type of global access and affordable cellular devices, the greater the possibility of seeing the further expansion of knowledge sharing and a more educated global population. A more educated global population makes for greater economic development worldwide, and contributes to greater well-being of all citizens – local and global.

But we must remember that we are a world of diverse knowledge, values and beliefs – north, south, east and west. To use knowledge to make the world a better place requires cooperative knowledge, cooperative values and cooperative beliefs. Using individual and global knowledge requires us to socially interact as never before – and we are incredibly fortunate that we now have the mobile technology to do so. The use of social media has advanced the ability to socially interact and mobilize knowledge across the globe with greater possibilities for global understanding and cooperation.

Using digital technology puts knowledge mobilization – literally – in the hands of everyone. With the burgeoning of digital technology in Africa and other developing countries, perhaps making the world a better place through knowledge mobilization is closer than we think.

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Formal & Personal Knowledge Mobilization (KMb)

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on March 3, 2012

Dedicated followers of my KMbeing blog will know that my understanding of Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) has evolved over the recent years as KMb has emerged, and I have taken a more holistic (and perhaps idealistic) approach to Knowledge Mobilization from the more academic/institutional approach that has now been established.

I continue to recognize (what I call) more formal KMb as knowledge collaborations between researchers and research-users to inform public policy decision-makers to create social benefit. But I also see the value of Knowledge Mobilization on a more personal level – connecting each person’s individual knowledge with the knowledge of others to make the world a better place.

There are four essential factors that influence effective formal Knowledge Mobilization:

1) Strong inter-organizational/institutional partnerships

2) Using skilled knowledge brokers (like those found at York University’s KMb Unit and ResearchImpact – Canada’s Knowledge Mobilization Network)

3) Meaningful involvement of “front-line” personnel – those involved in direct contact between researchers and community organizations

4) Support (professionally and financially) by institutional leaders

There are four essential factors that influence effective personal Knowledge Mobilization:

1) Value of one’s own knowledge

2) Sharing one’s own knowledge with others

3) Being open to the knowledge of others

4) Combining knowledge to create meaningful, new knowledge to make the world a better place

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) – both formal and personal – is about creating multi-directional connections of knowledge utilization, transfer and exchange for social benefit. It’s about establishing social relationships through multi-directional knowledge sharing.

More formally – knowledge can be translated and/or exchanged in several multi-directional and engaging ways:

mobilized from researcher(s) to researcher(s) within the academy
mobilized from researcher(s) to practitioner(s) or vice versa
mobilized from one institution or organization working with another
mobilized from community organizations to practitioner(s) to researcher(s)
mobilized from community organizations to researcher(s)
mobilized from researcher(s) to researcher(s) within or across institutions
mobilized from a tweeter/blogger (use of social media) to inform researcher(s) in academia
mobilized from word-of-mouth story-telling to organizations or researcher(s)

More personally – knowledge can be translated and/or exchanged in several multi-directional and engaging ways:

mobilized from person(s) to person(s) within a family
mobilized from person(s) to person(s) from within to outside a family (or vice versa)
mobilized from person(s) to co-worker(s)
mobilized from person(s) to person(s) within social circles (friends, volunteer communities, faith communities)
mobilized from a tweeter/blogger (using social media) to inform others
mobilized from comments of others (using social media) to inform tweeter/blogger
mobilized from word-of-mouth story-telling to strangers or new acquaintance(s)

In short – Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) can take place with and among anyone wanting to share knowledge with the intention of making the world a better place. At the heart of KMb is the intention of social benefit for everyone.

Whether you’re doing it formally or personally – are you mobilizing knowledge to make the world a better place?

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Seeking Unchangeable Knowledge

Leave a Comment Posted by KMbeing on June 2, 2011

Knowledge in this world comes through individual experiences. No experience is ever exactly the same as any other – just as no person is exactly the same as any other. As each moment is different – so is each knowledge moment. Trying to “capture” knowledge as something unchangeable will lead you on a wild-goose chase. This type of “knowledge” will never be attained. But if you pursue knowledge with an open-mind and expectation of the ongoing process of knowledge you might very well find greater happiness in your life – and a deeper understanding of our ever-changing humanity.

I am definitely one of those people who recognizes each changing knowledge moment and oppportunity – now finding greater happiness in my life. When I stopped trying to capture knowledge as something unchangeable and started looking for knowledge in the diversity of everything and everyone around me – I started finding greater happiness.

Earlier in my life I always expected certain things, certain people or certain situations to conform to my ideas of knowledge. It was very “black or white” thinking. I would say “why are they doing it that way, why not this way?” It would often lead to frustration, annoyance and even anger.

Then I started opening myself up to other forms of knowledge that didn’t always fit into my “little box of knowledge” and I started to realize that the world is made up of many types of knowledge. When I decided to just let that knowledge happen, guess what? I started learning new things and new ideas that expanded my thinking – and quite frankly – made me a better person to be around. I also started to realize that my own knowledge could contribute to the diversity of knowledge I was opening myself up to – and it was helpful – not just to myself – but to others.

I started to discover the meaning of knowledge as a daily practice and a daily process that connects me to the world around me. I also discovered that by sharing knowledge – especially through social media with people all around the world – I am connecting myself with a diversity of knowledge that can be used for social benefit.

If we spend all of our energy trying to “capture” unchangeable knowledge we miss out on the daily flow and process of knowledge. It’s like trying to hold back a waterfall with your hands. When we are open to learning and sharing knowledge with others we have the opportunity to let the diversity of knowledge come into our lives and transform our own knowledge. When our own knowledge is mobilized it becomes helpful – not just to ourselves – but to everyone.

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Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) Everyday By “Everyday” People

3 Comments Posted by KMbeing on May 26, 2011

Knowledge Mobilization (KMb) is about moving knowledge into practice or action for the benefit of society. But knowledge mobilization isn’t just about intellectuals or academics exchanging knowledge with each other. Every single person can be a knowledge mobilizer by supporting opportunities for researchers to share knowledge while also contributing to and informing researchers about knowledge at the community level.

And social media is a great way to do this! It’s one of the easiest and most basic opportunities for researchers and research users to connect.

Every day I use Twitter to review and link to knowledge (some useful – some not). When I learn from it and then pass on my own experiences or comments about that knowledge to others, I am mobilizing knowledge. I have found that just on Twitter alone there is an enormous amount of knowledge and expertise out there – and yes…much data noise to sift through as well. Of course there’s also information that’s not reliable or accurate, but a greater portion – especially with the right key words and links – is valuable knowledge.

I follow and am followed by my Twitter “tweeps” who are connected to academic institutions, government agencies, international health and environmental organizations, educational and social agencies, along with national agencies, political groups, media and networking executives; while I also follow community-based health and social welfare agencies, local educators, non-profit groups, service-industry workers, poets, artists – all important “everyday” people. Although I work with professionals, I never lose touch with other voices in the “everyday” world we live in.

No matter what the “professionals” have to say (which I always appreciate and acknowledge), I’m always impressed by the knowledge that is shared by “regular” folks in “everyday” jobs who are willing to share personal knowledge and “everyday” expertise. Whenever they take the time to pass on something from personal experience or tweet an enlightening link, knowledge mobilization is taking place. This is knowledge mobilization – by social media – for social benefit on a wider scale.

On a more professional scale, knowledge mobilization includes a variety of methods to transfer, exchange and be informed by research (workshops, conferences, meetings) while also contributing to informing research and researchers as well. As I’ve pointed out in previous blogs, the networking capabilities of social media make KMb a multi-directional process that provides researchers with an abundant source of knowledge, in order to inform policy makers who make decisions for social benefit.

We may have to sift through the data noise that’s out there, but contributing in some way – everyday – to sharing knowledge (whoever you are) is what knowledge mobilization is all about. As Sly and the Family Stone said, “We got to live together” in this world. Sharing our knowledge for social benefit through knowledge mobilization – either professionally or personally – makes our “everyday” world a better place to live in.

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Public culture and online communication through social media provides opportunities to explore new knowledge for social benefit.

Social media and technology have had a transformative impact on our understanding of knowledge – especially through using social media and technology for knowledge mobilization.

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