Week 10 - Second Life and Knowledge Management…!

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1. INTRODUCTION

Many organisations are encounter difficulties to implement Knowledge Management (KM) with capturing and maximising the knowledge that is important to the organisation. In my earlier article Organisational Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) (RSK, 2009d) I looked at how organisations could develop KMS to deliver KM.

An initiative for organisations to enable KM with the use of Collaborative Virtual Environment (CVE) is an effective KMS for organisations to provide knowledge sharing and learning. The article explores this in detail.

2. BACKGROUND READING

2.1. Collaborative Virtual Environments

CVE are systems that are spanning from text-based environments to simple 2D to 3D environments with graphical representations to systems based on Virtual Reality (Tomek, 2001).

2.2. 3D CVE

According to Tomek (2001) 3D CVE is a software environment that emulates some of the features of the real world, for example: massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) (Chen, et al., (2005) or Second Life (SL) for socialisation, business or education intentions (Second Life, 2009).

2.3. Using 3D CVE for KM

Schmeil & Eppler (2005) says “3D CVE provide ways to experience and view information that is dynamic and interactive”. 3D CVE will allow individuals to have more accurate approximation of physical reality, which will provide an ease in accessing and using the system (Stanney, 2002). Thus KM could world work in the sense where people can go into the CVE and have improved usability to allow knowledge sharing with real life “feeling of immersion, a perceptual and psychological sense of being in the digital environment” (Stanney, 2002).

Also the feeling of presence is enhanced, by the sense of orientation and position in space. People can be organised in a more natural way in 3D that will allow people to feel comfortable to share, discuss and work (Schmeil & Eppler, 2005).

Tomek (2001) suggests a weakness of 3D CVE is the models are more difficult to use over 2D data or text and could thus distract a user from communicating, hence hinder KM.

2.4. What is Second Life?

SL is an online Multi-User Virtual Environment (MUVE) that is a special type of CVE (Second Life, 2009). It works by installing a software application that allows user to access virtual world, from anywhere, at any time, hence employees have access 24-7. The technical and usage of SL is outside the scope of this article (see Second Life, 2009).

2.5. Impact of Second Life to an Organisation

SL could provide a platform for increased efficiency of not travelling, which results in reducing cost. Learning could be key factor for employees to be involved in interactive training sessions and seminars (Holm, et al., (2007). The reducing cost and wider networking could provide opportunities to organisations to use SL to gain competitive advantage and learn from Communities of Practices (CoP) that exist.

2.6. Second Life & Organisation Knowledge

Organisations could use SL to facilitating knowledge sharing and integration within their KM Strategy to a KMS (RSK, 2009c). Krange, et al., (2003) investigated collaboration patterns for learning in SL and say knowledge construction and the analysis of the interrelations between actors, especially vocal interaction can improve collaboration.

2.7. Social & Business Networks & CoP

Social and business networks are critical to an organisations retaining and enhancing their key knowledge (RSK, 2009). Organisations could network wider markets to learn and discover new innovations. Also the CoP of linking with other groups of people anywhere in the CVE to share practices (RSK, 2009b).

3. MY PERSONAL STAND POINT

The CVE of SL has shown that organisations and people have now got alternative way to do education, business and to socialise over the internet. Compared to what I wrote in my earlier article on Web 2.0 (RSK, 2009e), where interaction by means of text, images and multimedia that make up Web 2.0 technologies can be 2D and not enough for KM to really maximise organisation collaboration.

The position I see is that organisations will use SL as a KMS (RSK, 2009d) in building a presence in a public environment to network and at the same time having a private environment for internal uses for employees to learn, discover, create and discuss (Individual and organisation learning). Therefore provide knowledge sharing collaboration, which will result in significant competitive advantage from reduced travel costs and improved teamwork.

4. THEORY IN PRACTICE

4.1. Universities in Second Life

One possible use of SL is to deliver education. Middleton (2009) says "Universities can not only hold lectures and seminars in-world, they can create fully interactive, immersive environments where students can communicate with tutors and professors and explore virtual learning tools". As this is supported by the research of Saleeb (2009) who assess the impact of education environments through SL.

Universities could use SL to set up a virtual base where potential students can view prospective course and study through the virtual environment. Employees at the university and people that come to the base could use it as social network to meet people, socialise and important share ideas (learn). Also business network could happen where university could team up with another university to exchange business information, ideas and support. For example: Middlesex University and an American University, could share local knowledge and ideas of reaching wider markets.

Students can be taught through SL as there might be no need to attend physical classrooms as it will all be done through the CVE. Also academics or trainers could have CoP to discuss best practices in there respected fields. Thus create knowledge environment of discussion and increase productivity and innovation.

4.2. IBM in Second Life

According to O'Driscoll (2008) the most effective way that IBM uses SL is to host virtual meetings (formal and informal) as regular as a 2 or 3 times a week, where people can meet and talk and create a better spatial presence. IBM sees the potential for organising training in the form of simulations, rehearsals, conference streaming, doing research and other business related activities.

4.3. NASA in Second Life

NASA developed a Space Exploration Policy, of developing a space program that inspire people to study maths, science and engineering (Holm, et al., (2007). Therefore NASA uses SL to create a live action learning environment that gives people the chance to “experiment with orbital mechanics, the principles of spaceflight and other space-related subjects” (Holm, et al., 2007), which provides learning devices for people of all ages. Peoples with shared goals and ideas will learn and discover new (best) practices that involve simulation (knowledge creation). It also gives NASA the opportunity to find new people with talents to work for them in the future. NASA also uses SL for marketing, sponsoring, research and development and importantly for collaboration and linking with global engineering teams (CoP) to share best practices, for example NASA with European Space Agency to discuss future space projects.

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Reference(s)
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	Slides		Holm, J., White, C. & Soderstrom, T. (2007) Sharing Knowledge in Second Life [Slides]. Jet Propulsion Laboratory: United States of America (USA), California (CA), Los Angeles, Pasadena. [Accessed on: 2014-08-10]. [Available on: ONTOLOG: http://ontolog-archives.cim3.net/file/work/OKMDS/2007-10-25_SL-tutorial/Sharing-Knowledge-in-SL--JeanneHolm-CharlesWhite-TomSoderstrom_20071025.ppt].
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	Blog		Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 10 - Second Life & Knowledge Management…! [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom (UK), England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-03-31]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000017]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi: https://ravi.dkode.co/2009/03/week-11-second-life-knowledge.html].
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Reference (or cite) Article
	Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 10 - Second Life & Knowledge Management…! [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom, England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-03-31]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000017]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi - https://ravi.dkode.co/2009/03/week-11-second-life-knowledge.html].

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