+ Review of Zoho Wiki 2.0 Online Portals for Group Collaboration & Knowledge Sharing Ruth Sandoval OI&LS 510

+ ????? What is Zoho Wiki ????? An online Web page service that can be viewed and modified by anybody with a Web browser and access to the internet. Audio Introduction: A Wiki is a database created by a group Store and Grow Knowledge Share knowledge Gather Knowledge Store Knowledge

+ Who can use ZohoWiki? Zoho Wiki can be used by anyone With Web access Individuals within an organization Employees Administrators Collaborative teams Focus Groups Social Groups Task Teams Leadership teams Customers Partners Local/global General Public Students Researchers Stakeholders

+ How can Zoho Wiki capture knowledge? Information and Documents Documents can be uploaded and can be edited by anyone who has permission from the initial design of the site. (data loaded and used asynchronously) Intranets Intranet systems can be created for use of all who have access. (asynchronous information storage) Videos and Presentations Videos and presentations can be created, uploaded, and stored. (asynchronous or synchronous use with human interface) IM, Web Meetings, Mail Results of collaboration from meetings can be stored. ex. agendas, meeting notes, results of brainstorm sessions. (synchronous, human interface) Teaching and Learning Courses can be stored, used/taught, and new learning and ideas can be added (synchronous or asynchronous use)

+ How can Zoho Wiki be used to share knowledge? A few examples of collaborative activities that can be used in conjunction with Zoho Wiki: Discussions Users can utilize a discussion board for asynchronous collaboration. Example: A supervisor needs input on a new initiative that will be rolled out in the near future. S/he posts a discussion request outlining the new initiative and requests feedback from staff. Staff posts responses and supervisor gathers information that is stored to inform decisions. Edit Documents Multiple users can work on a document at the same time. Example: Admin staff from multiple departments who are creating a document desire to make it consistent company wide. They work on the document together to produce a single product. Web Conferencing Users can meet to discuss projects, create, an document. Example: A workgroup meets to view a video or presentation and have a discussion. Chat/Instant Messaging Users can have short discussions, ask questions, share knowledge. Example: A user needs quick information while working with a customer over the phone. S/he instant messages an individual who can give the needed information.

+ Types of Knowledge that can be captured, stored, and shared: Declarative Knowledge- Knowledge of “What” concepts, categories, definitions, assumptions. Ex: Tacit knowledge from individuals derived from mail, web conferencing, IM, discussions Procedural Knowledge – Knowledge of “How, or Know How” processes, events, activities, actions, manuals. Ex: Explicit knowledge from policy manuals, procedural documents. Causal Knowledge – Knowledge of “Why” Rationale for decisions, what is accepted or rejected Ex: Open discussions and disclosure during web conferencing, IM chats, discussions, documents,, Context – Knowledge of “Care Why” Circumstances of decisions, informal knowledge, values, what is accepted. Ex: Company vision and mission statements, transparent discussions between leadership and staff about reasons behind decisions made and how they connect with company vision. Informal Internal Knowledge Ex: Knowledge that is shared between individuals that comes from personal or past experience, history of organization through storytelling. ( Dalkir, 2011) ( Davenport and Prusak, 1998 )

+ Zoho Wiki as an Online KM Application Let’s take a look!

+ How do you choose the best wiki? Questions and considerations when choosing a Wiki: Hosted or self-installed? Maximum storage capacity? Wiki syntax or HTML formatting? WYSIWYG editing or plain text? Page templates or freeform? Version tracking and page history? File upload functionality? Cost? Pick a winner: How to Choose the Right Wiki for your Business A wiki can be used as an online application, or software can be purchased to use in-house.

+ More to consider… Some other usability criteria you may want to consider includes the ease of registering and sharing data, a spell- checker, hyperlink support, RSS feeds, search functionality and rich text formatting (such as bulleted lists, tables, etc.). The best way to get started is by outlining how you intend to use the wiki and making a list of your must-haves. Since this will be specific to your needs, it pays to spend some time thinking through the process before testing out various wikis. Use Wiki Comparison Site Once you have an idea of how you want your wiki to serve you. WikiMatrix offers a wizard to help determine what features are most needed by an organization. The wiki wizard also provides explanations about what the different criteria means in a generalized way that’s easy to understand. And it gives you a summary of how many wikis fit your criteria after each step. Pick a winner: How to Choose the Right Wiki for your Business

+ Using a Wiki as a Knowledge Management Tool Easy access for all, on-site and off-site. Can be used synchronously or asynchronously. Encourages democratic use of the Web and promotes content composition by non-technical users. Information can be gathered/shared/stored in real time. KM is a living process. Growth and evolution of organizational knowledge can happen organically over time and may reflect a truer picture. Oneness may occur as values and mission of organization is shared. Risk of anyone using ideas that are stored there. May need to be monitored to ensure best practices. Structuring initial content may be challenging and an understanding of how a user navigates is essential. Represents the collective perspective of the group and, over time may become imbedded with the values of individuals. Success of use depends on the level of transparency and trust within an organization. AdvantagesChallenges

+ References Dalkir, K. (2011) Knowledge Management in Theory and Practice. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. 7 Things You Should Know About Wikis. [Editorial.] (2005, July 15.) Educause. Retrieved from Gregory, A. (2009, October 22). Pick a Winner: How to Choose the Right Wiki for your Business. [Web log post]. Retrieved from wiki/. Zohocorp. (2010) Zoho Wiki. Retrieved. October 21,