MBIB4250 Knowledge Management and Information Behavior Course description

This course focuses on individuals' and groups' information-related activities at work as well as tools and strategies by organisations to manage their information resources.

The teaching language is in English when there are foreign exchange students present.

No prerequisites.

After completing the course, the student should have the following overall learning outcomes defined in terms of knowledge, skills and general competence:

Knowledge

The student has

• advanced knowledge of information needs as well as of use of information and knowledge in different contexts such as everyday life, working life, research and education, etc.
• good overview and specialized knowledge of the role of various channels for satisfying the information needs and their prominence for seeking and sharing information and knowledge
• advanced knowledge of the theoretical models for understanding seeking and sharing of information and knowledge
• advanced understanding of the relationship between human information behaviour and methods of information and knowledge management

Skills

The student is able to

• use empirical and theoretical models on information behaviour and information mediating institutions' role in information seeking processes to design research projects
• reflect upon how information needs and information use is affected and changed by political, demographic, cultural and technological changes, the emergence of new forms of learning and experience, etc.
• plan, develop and lead information and knowledge management in practice with reference to in-depth knowledge of information needs and information seeking behaviour

General competence

The student has the ability to

• analytically discuss and assess the flow of information at a workplace.
• participate in knowledge management projects at a workplace.

The course is organized as a series of three three-day sessions.

The course is given either in Scandinavian languages with occasional English contributions, or exclusively in English.

The following coursework requirements must have been approved in order for the student to take the exam:

1. An individually written short paper (approximately 1,500 words, equals with about 3 pages) on freely chosen concepts related to the topics of the course and based on course literature.

All required coursework must be completed and approved by the given deadline in order for the student to take the exam.If one or more coursework requirements have not been approved, the student will be given the opportunity to submit an improved version once by the given deadline.

Assessment consists of a written term paper. The term paper may be written individually (approximately 7,500 words, equals with about 15 pages), or in groups of 2-3 students (approximately 10,000 words, equals with about 20 pages). Font and font size: Arial / Calibri 12pkt. Line spacing: 1.5.

The student may choose English or Norwegian as examination language.

If a term paper is written by a group, all group members are requested a re-examination at fail. Candidates who do not receive a passing grade on the term paper can resubmit the paper once.

All examination support materials are permitted. However, sources must be stated in accordance with applicable rules for source references.

Letter grading A-F.

An internal and external examiner make the assessment of all exams.

Katriina Byström