Lehrstuhl für Wirtschaftsinformatik

Convergence of Knowledge Management and E-Learning

A significant trend of social, organisational and technological development can be characterised by one word: convergence. At various levels organisations, processes and technologies grow ever closer together and form a system with a multitude of strong interactions between the components. This also applies to the concepts of  E-learning and knowledge management should no longer be considered in isolation, but rather in work processes and where learning can be integrated.

In cooperation with Jan M. Pawlowski (University of Jyvaskyla), we are working on a comprehensive approach which supports the convergence of e-learning and knowledge management. Besides designing an integrated knowledge and learning systems (IWLS), we are working on providing interoperable teaching methods or templates. Moreover, we have explored together various aspects of the stated issues and have developed solutions for them in the last years:

• How can working, learning and knowledge processes be integrated? or
• Which methods of integration are promising?  

Initially, the corresponding integration requirements were identified. The focus was on the analysis and development of standards of learning technology to make convergent and interoperable process and system design possible. To complement the so-called Process Analysis Grid was developed, which as an analytical framework supports identification of those processes where synergies can arise.

On these bases, an architecture was built which supports the modelling and designing of convergent systems. The concrete implementation and evaluation was conducted in a case study in which the design of convergent learning and knowledge systems was studied.