Shelda Debowski

Bio: Shelda Debowski is an academic researcher from University of Western Australia. The author has contributed to research in topics: Higher education & Information seeking. The author has an hindex of 16, co-authored 46 publications receiving 2923 citations. Previous affiliations of Shelda Debowski include Murdoch University.

Impact of guided exploration and enactive exploration on self-regulatory mechanisms and information acquisition through electronic search.

Abstract: Following instruction in basic skills for electronic search, participants who practiced in a guided exploration mode developed stronger self-efficacy and greater satisfaction than those who practiced in a self-guided exploratory mode. Intrinsic motivation was not affected by exploration mode. On 2 posttraining tasks, guided exploration participants produced more effective search strategies, expended less effort, made fewer errors, rejected fewer lines of search, and achieved higher performance. Relative lack of support for self-regulatory factors as mediators of exploration mode impacts was attributed to the uninformative feedback from electronic search, which causes most people to remain at a novice level and to require external guidance for development of self-efficacy and skills. Self-guided learning will be more effective on structured tasks with more informative feedback and for individuals with greater expertise on dynamic tasks. With the accelerated growth of computerized information sources, electronic search is rapidly becoming critical in the acquisition of information for decision making. Increasingly, information is being stored and presented in electronic rather than in print form. Some experts estimate that more than half of the world's information is available only by electronic access (e.g., Cook, 1995), thus underscoring the need to master electronic information technologies to ensure maximum access to needed information. The capability to explore electronic information sources may be increasingly important in many domains of human functioning, but novices typically invest as little as 30 min on learning the basic competencies of electronic search (Borgman, 1989). This is particularly limiting because task-generated feedback from electronic search is not highly informative regarding the effectiveness of strategies. For the nonexpert, there is often no way of knowing how many relevant records there are on the database being searched or if the records retrieved are the most relevant. Unless a person is motivated to continually develop and test alternative strategies to see how they influence the records retrieved, the basic electronic search competencies that they develop during their initial exposure will not improve with experience. One aim in our

Wrong way: go back! An exploration of novice search behaviours while conducting an information search

Abstract: The push toward the development of user-managed online search processes is clearly evident in libraries. Implicit in this trend is the assumption that searchers are competent in searching these services and retrieving their desired information. However, a close examination of the search strategies of novices while they performed an information search task reveals some significant barriers to successful searching. The results illustrate that novice searchers work very hard on their searches, but find it difficult to develop an effective strategy. These difficulties often prevent successful completion of the search process. The study raises some serious issues which need to be further explored, particularly in terms of tracing user search behaviours, and in developing appropriate support services for such clients.

The impact of enactive exploration on intrinsic motivation, strategy, and performance in electronic search

Abstract: An experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of enactive exploration on intrinsic motivation, strategy, and performance on an electronic search task. Enactive exploration includes elements of self-guided exploration and error management, which participants in the experimental condition were encouraged to utilise during the practice segment of a training programme. Participants in the comparison condition received the same basic training and completed the same practice segment without the enactive exploration intervention. Enactive exploration produced higher intrinsic motivation than the comparison condition but did not influence other self-regulatory factors. Participants trained in the enactive exploration mode also had higher performance levels on transfer tasks performed under stringent performance expectations. Post-training self-efficacy and satisfaction had a positive influence on the quality of strategies used on the transfer tasks but intrinsic motivation was negatively related to strategy quality. The ways in which enactive exploration instructions influence intrinsic motivation and the effects of intrinsic motivation on strategy and performance on complex tasks are discussed.

From agents of change to partners in arms: the emerging academic developer role

Abstract: This commentary explores the role that academic developers (ADs) play in universities. Three case studies illustrate the roles that ADs may enact as agents of change. They reflect an emergent shift from acting as the institutional teaching and learning ‘expert’ (i.e. agent of change) to a more adaptive, collaborative partnership model where the AD works in partnership with academic leaders to change educational practice. The influence of national external forces on institutional philosophy, policy, and practice, and the AD role is also examined, using Australian initiatives as an example.

Modeling the Antecedents of Proactive Behavior at Work

Abstract: Using a sample of U.K. wire makers (N = 282), the authors tested a model in which personality and work environment antecedents affect proactive work behavior via cognitive-motivational mechanisms. Self-reported proactive work behaviors (proactive idea implementation and proactive problem solving) were validated against rater assessments for a subsample (n = 60) of wire makers. With the exception of supportive supervision, each antecedent was important, albeit through different processes. Proactive personality was significantly associated with proactive work behavior via role breadth self-efficacy and flexible role orientation, job autonomy was also linked to proactive behavior via these processes, as well as directly; and coworker trust was associated with proactive behavior via flexible role orientation. In further support of the model, the cognitive-motivational processes for proactive work behavior differed from those for the more passive outcome of generalized compliance.

Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice

Abstract: The ability to manage knowledge has become increasingly important in today's knowledge economy. Knowledge is considered a valuable commodity, embedded in products and in the tacit knowledge of highly mobile individual employees. Knowledge management (KM) represents a deliberate and systematic approach to cultivating and sharing an organization's knowledge base. It is a highly multidisciplinary field that encompasses both information technology and intellectual capital. This textbook and professional reference offers a comprehensive overview of the field of KM, providing both a substantive theoretical grounding and a pragmatic approach to applying key concepts. Drawing on ideas, tools, and techniques from such disciplines as sociology, cognitive science, organizational behavior, and information science, the text describes KM theory and practice at the individual, community, and organizational levels. It offers illuminating case studies and vignettes from companies including IBM, Xerox, British Telecommunications, JP Morgan Chase, and Nokia. This second edition has been updated and revised throughout. New material has been added on the information and library science perspectives, taxonomies and knowledge classification, the media richness of the knowledge-sharing channel, e-learning, social networking in KM contexts, strategy tools, results-based outcome assessments, knowledge continuity and organizational learning models, KM job descriptions, copyleft and Creative Commons, and other topics. New case studies and vignettes have been added; and the references and glossary have been updated and expanded.

The wisdom hierarchy: representations of the DIKW hierarchy

Abstract: This paper revisits the data-information-knowledge-wisdom (DIKW) hierarchy by examining the articulation of the hierarchy in a number of widely read textbooks, and analysing their statements about the nature of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. The hierarchy referred to variously as the 'Knowledge Hierarchy', the 'Information Hierarchy' and the 'Knowledge Pyramid' is one of the fundamental, widely recognized and 'taken-for-granted' models in the information and knowledge literatures. It is often quoted, or used implicitly, in definitions of data, information and knowledge in the information management, information systems and knowledge management literatures, but there has been limited direct discussion of the hierarchy. After revisiting Ackoff's original articulation of the hierarchy, definitions of data, information, knowledge and wisdom as articulated in recent textbooks in information systems and knowledge management are reviewed and assessed, in pursuit of a consensus on definitions and transformation processes. This process brings to the surface the extent of agreement and dissent in relation to these definitions, and provides a basis for a discussion as to whether these articulations present an adequate distinction between data, information, and knowledge. Typically information is defined in terms of data, knowledge in terms of information, and wisdom in terms of knowledge, but there is less consensus in the description of the processes that transform elements lower in the hierarchy into those above them, leading to a lack of definitional clarity. In addition, there is limited reference to wisdom in these texts.

Three‐dozen knowledge‐sharing barriers managers must consider

Abstract: Purpose – Knowledge sharing is the corner-stone of many organisations’ knowledge-management (KM) strategy. Despite the growing significance of knowledge sharing’s practices for organisations’ competitiveness and market performance, several barriers make it difficult for KM to achieve the goals and deliver a positive return on investment. This paper provides a detailed review of current KM and related literatures on a large number of possible knowledge-sharing barriers with the purpose of offering a more comprehensive and structured starting-point for senior managers when auditing their organisation’s current knowledge base and knowledge-sharing requirements. Design/methodology/approach – This article reviews and discusses over three dozen potential knowledge-sharing barriers, categorising them into three main domains of recently published works: individual/personal, organisational, and technological barriers. Findings – The extensive list of knowledge sharing barriers provides a helpful starting point and guideline for senior managers auditing their existing practices with a view to identifying any bottle-necks and improving on the overall effectiveness of knowledge-sharing activities. Practical implications – Managers need to realise, however, that a particular knowledge sharing strategy or specific managerial actions will not suit all companies and that there are differences to be expected between MNCs and SMEs, private, public sector, and not-for-profit organisations. As such, the implementation of knowledge-sharing goals and strategies into an organisation’s strategic planning and thinking will vary greatly. Originality/value – The main discussion of this paper brings together a large range of knowledgesharing barriers in an attempt to indicate the complexity of knowledge sharing as a value-creating organisational activity.