Social Capital, Networks and Communities of Knowledge OECD/NSF Conference on Advancing Knowledge and the Knowledge Economy Washington DC, USA January 2005 Tom Schuller CERI/OECD

OECD/CERI contextual factors Separate Education Directorate; continuing concern with education/economy links. Growing preoccupation with outcomes, as well as inputs and participation rates; outcomes are more than qualifications achieved. The returns to education cannot be understood in terms of individual performance alone CERI interest in ‘evidence’; and in causal mechanisms. Data availability and appropriate measurement: the need for mixed methodologies

Countries above line do better than could be expected given expenditure levels. Expenditure and student achievement Cumulative expenditure per student from Grade 1 until age 15 PPP US$ Mean student performance in mathematics OECD (2004), Learning for tomorrow’s world: First results from PISA 2003, Table 2.6, p.358. Countries below line do less well than could be expected given expenditure levels.

2001 OECD Growth Study Entrepreneurship Information & Communication Technology Human capital Innovation

Human capital Access to highly-educated workforce Incentives to firms and individuals for lifelong learning Enhancing knowledge-based labour markets Enhancing knowledge-based management and organisation

Enhancing knowledge-based labour markets Increase international mobility Increase participation of underrepresented groups Stimulate flexible work arrangements

Increase participation of underrepresented groups Employment/population rations of women with tertiary education Gender gap employment rate Women’s participation relative to men Minority participation relative to other groups

Social capital: definitions General “networks together with shared norms, values and understandings that facilitate co- operation within or among groups”. The Well-being of Nations, OECD (2001) Three types: –Bonding SC, which refers to relationships within or between relatively homogeneous groups. –Bridging SC, referring to relationships within or between relatively heterogeneous groups. –Linking SC, referring to relationships between people or groups at different hierarchical levels.

Proposition The relevance of SC, and network thinking, to the knowledge economy will be greatly enhanced if we can develop our understanding of the interactions between its different forms, and how these change over time

Bonding High Bridging HighLow

a b a Time SC (Bonding & Bridging) aa A B C

A – Knowledge accumulation B – Access/utilisation C – Validity/critique

Trust a.accelerates the accumulation of knowledge but crucial questions remain. b.represents a collective investment which enhances accessibility and broad distribution. c.is an essential component in remedying the weaknesses of formal knowledge-validating systems.

Eg: Health Sector Massive knowledge accumulation; research as mix of Mode 1 and Mode 2. New knowledge-producer/knowledge-user relationships, e.g. co-creation. Education for users as important to knowledge utilisation: –Communication with professionals –Validation.

Policy Issues What factors, social as well as technological, have general significance in shaping the ways networks function? How does education promote effective participation in communities on knowledge? How far does the physical architecture of our educational institutions reflect and complement the demands of a knowledge-based economy?

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Knowledge production: Modes 1 and 2 (Gibbons et al) Mode 1 Discipline-based; Academic gatekeepers Strong fundamental/applied distinction Dissemination downstream of knowledge production Little attention to exploitation Mode 2 Transdisciplinary Teamwork Blurring of applied/fundamental and theoretical/practical Shorter time to dissemination Knowledge produced through exploitation