Showing papers on "Knowledge sharing published in 1970"

Applying adaptive management in resource use in South African National Parks: A case study approach

Abstract: South African National Parks (SANParks) has a history of formal and informal natural resource use that is characterised by polarised views on national conservation interests and benefits to communities. Current efforts aim to determine the sustainability of existing resource use in parks and to formalise these activities through the development of resource use protocols. The resource use policy of SANParks outlines principles for sustainable resource use, including greater involvement of local communities in management of protected areas and an adaptive management approach to determining sustainable use levels. This paper examines three case studies on plant use in national parks with regard to the development of criteria and indicators for monitoring resource use, and the role of thresholds of potential concern in measuring effectiveness of managing for sustainable use levels. Opportunities and challenges for resource use management are identified. Findings show that platforms for discussion and knowledge sharing, including research committees and community associations, are critical to building relationships, trust and a shared vision of sustainable resource use between stakeholders. However, additional capacity building is needed to enable local community structures to manage internal social conflicts and jealousy, and to participate fully in monitoring efforts. Long-term monitoring is essential for developing flexible harvest prescriptions for plant use, but this is a time-consuming and resource-intensive exercise. Flexible management strategies are difficult to implement and sometimes command-and-control measures are necessary to protect rare or endangered species. A holistic approach that considers resource use in national parks as a complement to broader community development initiatives offers a way forward. Conservation implications: There is no blueprint for the development of sustainable resource use systems and resource use is often addressed according to multiple approaches in national parks. However, the SANParks resource use policy provides a necessary set of guiding principles for resource use management across the national park system that allows for monitoring progress.

Using Teaching Courseware to Enhance Classroom Interaction as a Method of Knowledge Sharing

Abstract: Information technology (IT) is a generic term referring to technologies which are being used for collecting, storing, editing and passing on information in various forms. Information and communication technology is being used extensively not just part of national curriculum requirements but also as a management, assessment diagnostic and statistic tool. Interactive computer applications and simulation exercise can be used to supplement the traditional study preparation (Leidener and Jarvenpaa 1995). Various researches have been done to investigate the effectiveness of information technologies as an educational tool. IT has the potential to play an important role in making science in schools more relevant, interesting and motivating for students (Mork 2005). It is believed that the power and accessibility of IT are now narrowing the gap between school science and industrial science, thus enabling science teaching to provide opportunities for students to emulate uses of IT made by professional scientists. Therefore consideration needs to given to developed IT-based science activities in classrooms, which enables students to learn science as well as to experience it. The goal of teaching is to facilitate the transfer of knowledge from the expert (teachers) to the learners (students) (Leidener and Jarvenpaa 1995). Errors in understanding are the result of imperfect or incomplete knowledge transfer. Individuals must share the same understanding of words in order to communicate efficiently. In a classroom setting, the teacher is the source of knowledge and should be in control of the teaching material and learning pace. Knowledge sharing is related to knowledge management. Knowledge management is viewed as an increasingly important discipline that promotes the creation, sharing and leveraging of knowledge. This study investigate how teaching activities, such as using teaching courseware, allow sufficient interaction for knowledge sharing process to take place within the classroom environments.