# The Four Videos September 2, 2024, marked a return to something that I hadn’t experienced in a while—asynchronous online class. It brought back memories of the pandemic, the days when classes were entirely remote, and the world felt distant but connected in a strange way. We’ve come so far since then, but something about revisiting the online classroom brought a wave of nostalgia, and a slight sense of disorientation too. Our professor uploaded four videos on the UVE for our Knowledge Management course, and as I sat down to watch them, I realized this wasn’t just an ordinary lesson. This was a return to something that I thought I had already mastered, but it quickly became evident that I had only scratched the surface. The first video immediately took me back to my second year, first semester, during our Information Management class. It was here that I first encountered the concepts of **data**, **information**, and **knowledge**. These terms had seemed straightforward back then, but watching these videos again, especially the one titled *"Data-Information-Knowledge in 3 minutes or less,"* I started to see things from a new perspective. The video broke it down simply, but the implications hit me differently this time around. ### Rediscovering Data, Information, and Knowledge At the core of the first video was the differentiation between data, information, and knowledge. As an IT student, I’ve worked with **data** almost daily, and I thought I had a solid grasp of it. Data is just raw facts, right? Numbers, bits, and pieces that we collect without any inherent meaning. The video echoed that, describing data as “unstructured facts and figures which lack any kind of organization.” That part I knew. But then came **information**, and that’s where things started to shift. I’ve always thought of information as data that’s been processed, but the video added layers to this. It said, “Information refers to structured, organized, and contextualized data.” It was like a lightbulb moment—data without context is just noise. Only when it’s organized with a specific purpose does it transform into something valuable. Information is what we derive from connecting the dots. As I reflected, I realized that this transformation from data to information happens all around us, not just in technical systems. Take, for example, the weather. The raw data—temperature, humidity, and wind speed—on their own don’t tell us much. But when those figures are analyzed and put into context, such as predicting a storm, they become information. It’s the same in my field of IT. A set of error logs in a system might just look like random numbers until you correlate them with a malfunction—it’s then that data becomes information, something actionable. Then there’s **knowledge**—the final and most elusive part of the equation. In the video, knowledge was described as “a deeper level of understanding and know-how, based on experience.” It reminded me of a quote by authors Davenport and Prusak, who said knowledge is > “a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, and expert insight.” That really got me thinking. Knowledge, unlike data or information, is personal. It’s built over time, through experience and context. For example, anyone can read about programming or IT troubleshooting, but without real-world practice, that information remains flat. Knowledge comes when you’ve struggled with bugs for hours, found solutions, and learned from it. ### The Value of Tacit Knowledge in Knowledge Management The second video, *"Knowledge Management in 5 minutes or less,"* delved into the different types of knowledge, particularly **explicit** and **tacit** knowledge. As the video explained, explicit knowledge is codified—written down, documented, and easily shared. But **tacit knowledge**—that’s where things get tricky. This kind of knowledge is what makes someone an expert. It’s embedded in people’s experiences and skills, and it’s often hard to articulate. You can’t just read a manual and become a master at coding, for instance. It’s the same idea. What struck me was the video’s example: > “Ask yourself why a university can never produce an experienced manager. There is no way to extract the knowledge of an expert and place it in a document so that upon reading it, a beginner becomes an expert.” That’s the challenge in knowledge management—how do you transfer that deeply ingrained know-how? It reminded me of a time when I was just learning to code. I had all the resources at my disposal—books, tutorials, and guides. But it wasn’t until I sat down with an experienced coder and worked through real projects that I truly began to understand the craft. The same logic applies across industries. **Tacit knowledge** is like an iceberg, with most of it hidden beneath the surface. You can teach someone the theory behind IT or programming, but until they’ve encountered real problems, they haven’t truly grasped the subject. As I watched this video, I started to appreciate how vital it is to pass on this kind of knowledge, especially in fast-moving fields like IT. What good is all the explicit information we have—technical manuals, databases—if the key expertise leaves with retiring professionals? This video emphasized the importance of creating environments where this knowledge can be shared—master-apprentice relationships, collaborative projects, and even casual discussions. ### From DIK to DIKW: The Wisdom We Strive For One of the most interesting parts of the third video, *"Knowledge Management Basics—Learn and Gain,"* was the introduction of the **DIKW** pyramid: **Data**, **Information**, **Knowledge**, and finally, **Wisdom**. It added an extra dimension to everything we had been discussing. While I had thought about data, information, and knowledge before, I had never really considered **wisdom** as the top of the hierarchy. The video pointed out that “Wisdom is when the knowledge we possess is documented, shared, communicated, and taught to others.” That hit me hard. It’s not just about knowing something for ourselves but about applying that knowledge in a way that benefits others and future situations. Wisdom is knowing *when* and *how* to apply knowledge effectively, and it only comes through reflection, experience, and teaching others. In a way, this idea of wisdom ties into what we’re doing in our Knowledge Management course. We’re not just here to learn the theories—we’re learning how to apply them and how to share them. As an IT student, this resonated deeply. It’s not enough to just know how to code or troubleshoot. I need to understand how to pass that knowledge to others, whether that’s through documenting my processes, mentoring someone newer to the field, or even just contributing to collaborative problem-solving environments. ### Personal Application: Knowledge in My IT Journey As an IT student, I constantly find myself somewhere on the spectrum of data, information, knowledge, and wisdom. In every project, there’s a cycle I go through. I start with data—logs, system diagnostics, or raw code. Then, I turn that into information by analyzing it, finding patterns, or identifying issues. Having more experience helps me to acquire knowledge—understanding of why particular events occur and how to resolve them. With enough thought and effort, I hope to enter the wisdom stage—where I will be teaching others, foreseeing rather than merely solving problems, and streamlining procedures for all. Watching these videos made me realize just how important this process is. The systems under our control in IT are about knowledge rather than only data. Whether or not we can access the necessary knowledge at the appropriate moment determines the success of a project most of all. The entire system suffers if a fundamental piece of knowledge is buried in a forgotten document or locked away in someone's head. "Knowledge Management in 87 Seconds," the last video, masterfully linked it all. It presented the basic but important concept that organizations lose great knowledge without appropriate knowledge exchange. The video set up systems for cooperation and communication to show how to maintain critical knowledge flowing in a company. It got me considering the relevance of this in IT. It's like losing a piece of the jigsaw every time someone leaves a team without recording their procedures or offering their observations. ### The Path Forward: Building a Culture of Knowledge Sharing Reflecting on these videos, I see how important it is to foster an environment in which knowledge is free to flow. Knowledge management, as the videos underlined, is about creating a culture in which people want to share and cooperate rather than only about implementing the right technologies or systems. In a field as fast-paced as IT, where daily new challenges arise, this is more important than ever. Whether by mentoring, documentation, or open discussions, we must create settings where we can learn from one another. I find myself thinking of a passage by Socrates: > "The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing." This passage really humbles me since there is always more to learn regardless of my knowledge level. Knowledge is dynamic and always changing—not fixed. I am dedicated to not only learning but also sharing as I continue my journey in IT, using what I know, and most importantly, being open to learning more. In the end, knowledge management isn’t just a course or a series of videos—it’s a mindset, a way of thinking that will serve me well not just today in my studies but in my future career as an IT professional. --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://usep.gitbook.io/ice-311-blogs/september-2024/the-four-videos.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. 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