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Governmental Knowledge Societies
As a trainer for a governmental agency, whenever I am asked a question by a public servant about our processes my first response is always "what sources have you already consulted?". Because our work is independent and of a legal nature, the government has set up a website that contains all available learning resources in one shared space for access to all public servants. This learning space doesn't just provide raw data, it provides resources that allow public servants to perform their duties accurately in order to benefit the public. The ability to access knowledge and apply it anywhere and at any time is an extremely important skill in the context of what we do since laws and processes change very regularly. This can be seen as a microcosm of a Knowledge Society.
A knowledge society creates and disseminates knowledge to all members of a society with the hope of amelioriating aspects of that society[1]. It is marked by the use of information technologies, and continuous learning[2].
A public facing-version of the government's resource is the Community Legal Education Ontario Website. It is intended to provide citizens legal advice and resources in order to assist them in navigating a variety of legal processes with the need of a lawyer. It not only provides information but also interprets the information, outlines steps to take, and is continuously updated to match changes in the legal system.
Below is a typical flowchart that can be found on the website, guiding citizens through the process while allowing them to click on the different steps for further information:
There are even videos of mock hearings to prepare citizens for what the experience will be like. This resource goes beyond simply providing information, it is focused on preparing citizens for the experience and to help them apply this information to their own individualized needs. Though the scope isn't extremely broad it still achieves the keystones of a knowledge society of being accessible to everyone, and focused on application of information.
Footnotes
- ^ Castelfranchi, C. (2007). Six critical remarks on science and the construction of the knowledge society. Journal of Science Communication, 6(4), 1-3.
- ^ van Weert, T. J. (2006). Education of the twenty-first century: New professionalism in lifelong learning, knowledge development and knowledge sharing. Education and Information Technologies, 11(3), 217-237.
