This research took a step in exploring the social networks that underpin knowledge sharing in a loosely coupled CoP. Using prestige as an indicator of knowledge sharing, the associations of relational variables and prestige were used to reveal characteristics of knowledge sharing. The findings and the good-fit testing of the path model verify assumptions of knowledge exchange. Online knowledge contributions have mediation effects between limited informal personalization and prestige in a loosely coupled CoP. The findings of the regression and correlation analysis also verify the predictability of social resources for knowledge advantages.
The configurations of knowledge networks across school boundaries reveal the discrepancies between informal personalization when sharing ICT-in-education practices and that when sharing ICT practices. This research also classifies characteristics of brokering knowledge and opportunities for brokering various work practices among STCs of government-funded exemplar schools (E-School) and STCs of other schools.
There are some limitations to these social network studies. Ego-centric data collection requires interviewers to guide subjects to recall certain aspects of many types of knowledge sharing. It took a great deal of effort to record the relationships.
The time-consuming processes limit the sample sizes, which might influence the soundness of the hypotheses testing. Subjects were chosen from STCs of each junior high school in a city. Some STCs were new recruits with early relationships.
Evidence is missing on the quality of relationships.
Nevertheless, the author sought to develop a new way of evaluating the effectiveness of knowledge sharing and uncover useful relationships. This approach provided a clarified framework by which to understand what relationships support
knowledge prestige and knowledge brokerage and what relational features are associated with knowledge contribution. The author also sought to evaluate the performance of ICT-in-education from a social network perspective by examining what opportunities for brokering knowledge are embedded in knowledge sharing.
These findings could help educational authorities acquire an overview of the current state of ICT and ICT-in-education knowledge dissemination among loosely coupled STCs. The findings also help to explain the deficiencies of online community technology and suggest requirements that would encourage prestigious STCs to engage in concentrated interactions by developing stronger knowledge-exchange relationships. Much of the previous investment that the government has made into connecting workers for tacit knowledge exchange through an online community has had little effect; thus, researchers should focus on new strategies to encourage participants to develop stronger relationships with each other. Recent technology that involves integrating new instant communication into online communities, which is supposed to facilitate frequent interactions and the optimum performance of tacit knowledge exchange, might well be worthy of further study.
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Table A.1 Questionnaire Items (English Version) of the First Study and Corresponding Relational Variables
Questionnaire items Questions Data collected Derived relational variable of
measurement Please name the people from whom you have acquired
consultation or from whom you have sought assistance to solve problems of ICT work in the recent school year.
Personal network size CKASize
What pairs and the relationship direction of correlates that
you have elicited have the same relationship? Number of network ties
among correlates CKADen 1 Personal knowledge
acquisition (KA)
What are the contact frequencies of each pair? Contact frequency of network ties
CKAStr P
Personal knowledge
reciprocation (KR) lease name the people from whom you have acquired consultation or from whom you have sought assistance to solve problems of ICT work and to whom you have reciprocated consultation or assistance in the recent school year.
Personal network size CKRSize
What pairs and relationship direction of correlates that you
have elicited have the same relationship? Number of network ties
among correlates CKRDen
Informal personalization
2
What are the contact frequencies of each pair? Contact frequency of
network ties CKRStr 3 Personal knowledge
discussion (DISC) Please name the people whom you have discussed about
solutions of ICT-in-education work in the recent school year. Network Size DISCSize What are the pairs of correlates that you have elicited have
the same relationship? Number of Network ties
among correlates DISCDen What are the contact frequencies of each pairs? Contact Frequency of
Network ties
DISCStr 4 Personal knowledge
acquisition (IKA) Please name the people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of ICT-in-education work in the recent school year.
Network Size CIKASize
What are the pairs and the relationship direction of
correlates that you have elicited have the same relationship? Number of Network ties
among correlates CIKADen
What are the contact frequencies of each pairs? Contact Frequency of Network ties
CIKAStr 5 Personal knowledge
reciprocation (IKR) Please name the people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of ICT-in-education work and you have contributed consultation or assistance to them in the recent school year.
Network Size CIKCSize
What are the pairs and the relationship direction of
correlates that you have elicited have the same relationship? Number of Network ties
among correlates CIKCDen What are the contact frequencies of each pairs? Contact Frequency of
Network ties CIKCStr 6 Knowledge acquisition
(KA) from STCs at other schools
Please identify the following people from whom you have acquired consultation or from whom you have sought assistance to solve problems of ICT work in the recent school year.
Please identify the following people from whom you have contributed consultation or from whom you have sought assistance of ICT work in the recent school year.
Network size with STCs
Please identify the following people from whom you have acquired consultation or from whom you have sought assistance to solve problems of ICT-in-education work in the recent school year.
Please identify the following people from whom you have contributed consultation or from whom you have sought assistance of ICT-in-education in the recent school year.
Network size with STCs at other schools
AIKCSize
Table A.2 Questionnaire Items (English Version) of the Second Study and Corresponding Relational Variables
Question items Questions Data Collected Derived Relational Variables of
Measurement 1 Knowledge Acquisition of
Computer Hardware Maintenance (HW)
Please identify the following people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of Computer Hardware Maintenance and indicate the contact frequency
Network Size
Tie Strength HWSize HWDen HWStr 2 Knowledge Acquisition of
Software Usage (SW) Please identify the following people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of Software Usage and indicate the contact frequency
Network Size
Tie Strength SWSize SWDen SWStr 3 Knowledge Acquisition of
Computer Networking (NW) Please identify the following people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of Computer Networking and indicate the contact frequency
Network Size
Tie Strength NWSize NWDen NWStr 4 Knowledge Acquisition of ICT
Procurement (PRO)
Please identify the following people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of ICT Procurement and indicate the contact frequency
Network Size Tie Strength
PROSize PRODen PROStr 5 Knowledge Acquisition of
Digitalized Instructional Materials (DM)
Please identify the following people whom you have acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of Digitalized Instructional Materials and indicate the contact frequency 6 Friendship (FR) Please identify the following people whom you have
acquired consultation or assistance from to solve problems of Friendship and indicate the contact frequency
Network Size Tie Strength
FRSize FRDen FRStr
Appendix B. Questionnaire of the First Study
Appendix C. Questionnaire of the Second Study
國中資訊組長知識分享網路問卷
國立台灣師範大學 資訊教育研究所 2008/ 3
國中資訊組長知識分享網路問卷
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