Unveiling the Intellectual Capital of a University: Teachers’ Knowledge Maps

Abstract

Background: The importance of the university’s intellectual capital is obvious. In this resource, there is a great treasure that includes the knowledge, skills, competences, and expertise of the faculty. They are the teachers. Teachers’ knowledge map is a digital visual that shows where knowledge can be found within a college, university, or school. The subsequent development of knowledge maps simplifies the processes of knowledge sharing within the organization and the society. The paper discusses the novel methodology for the development of such digital maps, which forms a multidimensional interactive knowledge portrait of university teachers and researchers. The described study was a part of METACARTA project – “MEthodology and Technology for developing digitAl knowledge maps for eduCAtion and Research TeAms”. The project was based on the ontologies of university teachers’ knowledge. These ontologies reflect and unveil the structure both of the knowledge areas of competence and faculty activities. This text is an extended, enriched, and revised version of the article presented in the proceedings of ”The Internet and Modern Society InterSys2024 (IMS)“ conference. Purpose: The paper discusses the methods used for the development of digital maps, revealing a multidimensional knowledge portrait of teachers and researchers in the case of business school. Methodology for building enterprise and/or conceptual knowledge maps is proposed and may be re-used by other knowledge engineers and managers. Methods: The methodology is supported by the ontology-based approach and significantly expands the traditional knowledge engineering palette of methods. Ontologies as conceptual models of the subject areas are one of the most promising approaches to the development of knowledge bases and knowledge graphs. The teachers’ knowledge ontologies form the conceptual background of knowledge maps. The classical hierarchy of knowledge bodies is used and refined. The study of existing templates is made, and examples of knowledge maps layouts are analyzed and used for the draft of primary visual atlas. Some domain ontologies use the refined and customized SCOPUS / ASJC classifications of subject areas. In-depth interviews with faculty members were carried for empirical validation of the developed ontologies. The primary data was collected by filling the online questionnaire. Results: The approach and the methodology of visual mapping of the university faculty knowledge is proposed and described. It is based on the ontologies of faculty activities triad: teaching, research and consulting. The described ontologies reflect the structure of the teachers and researchers’ activities and disclose the levels of knowledge assets within the disciplines of business education. Conclusion: The suggested methodology gives universities an opportunity to create knowledge maps in order to unveil hidden knowledge as well as to integrate these maps into the university knowledge management systems.