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This course deals with the use of computer systems to support humans with knowledge management activities. It discusses the organization of knowledge already available in computer-based formats, the selection and use of suitable knowledge representation methods, the access to stored knowledge through search and retrieval techniques, and the way users utilize knowledge for particular tasks.
Prerequisites: CSC 481 (Knowledge-Based Systems) and graduate standing, or consent of the instructor.
The goal of the course is to understand important problems, challenges, concepts and techniques dealing with the organization and management of knowledge with the help of computers. Upon satisfactory completion of this course, students are expected to:
In order to achieve these goals, students learn how to analyse, design, implement and evaluate programs and systems of varying complexities. The core aspect of these systems is to offer support to "knowledge workers", in particular with respect to the ever-increasing amound of knowledge and information that becomes available and necessary for many tasks. This includes support for traditional tasks related to knowledge management, such as the grouping of related documents into categories or hierarchies, the generation of dictionaries and ontologies, or the construction of knowledge networks through references and citations.
In addition, methods and techniques that rely heavily on features offered by computer-based systems can be used to augment the human-centered tasks. Examples for such approaches are collaborative filtering, automatic content- and usage-based categorization of documents, the categorization of non-textual information such as images, drawings or sound, or the extraction of relevant keywords from documents.
In contrast to knowledge-based systems, where computers are actively involved in the manipulation and generation of knowledge, the goal here is to use computers as tools for activities mainly performed or at least directed by humans.
To the best of my knowledge, there are no suitable textbooks available for this course. Most of the books and articles on "knowledge management" are written with a business perspective, usually concentrating on the role of knowledge in corporations. Textbooks on Knowledge-based Systems and Artificial Intelligence mostly concentrate on the direct representation and manipulation of knowledge through computers, rather than on the support that computers can offer for human-centered knowledge management.
The files with the PowerPoint slides willbe made available through Blackboard or via the course Web site.
Further material will be made available through handouts in class, and through pointers to relevant Web pages.
Blackboard will be used for some administrative aspects of this class, such as distribution and submission of assignments, and for grading. Students are expected to have a valid account on the Blackboard system. If you do not have one yet, please contact Cal Poly's Information Technology Services (ITS) department. Their help desk is in Building 14, downstairs.
| Activity | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Assignments | 30% |
| Presentation and Paper | 30% |
| Project | 40% |
The following table gives an overview of the calculation of the grades. I reserve the right, however, to change the formula used. Please note that the project consists of several parts which will be evaluated separately. The project will be done in teams, and the performance of the team as a whole will be graded unless there is a clear disparity in the contributions of the individual team members. Should this be the case, I might ask for additional documentation like work sheets, email messages, or draft copies of documentation to evaluate individual contributions.
| FJK Home | CPE/CSC 581 | Syllabus | Schedule | Lecture Notes | Assignments | Project | Other Links |
| Franz Kurfess |