What's a Knowledge Community?

A knowledge community is a virtual assembly of people who gather to create, use, and disseminate information, knowledge and expertise. The community itself is a multi-user, networked environment that supports discussion, collaboration and long term management of community data.

Knowledge communities primarily exist on Internet sites or organization intranets. They link people together who share a common interest, objective or team association. Many applications exist in both for-profit and not-for-profit businesses and organizations as well as special interest groups, sports and hobbies.

Common Knowledge Community Elements

• Threaded discussion
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)
• Knowledge archive
• Search capability
• Document management
• Subject matter experts

Knowledge communities support a key change in perception about how learning activities are developed and organized. As a result of readily available technology and smart applications, like knowledge communities, knowledge transfer can occur any-time, any-place. Learning that occurs in a dedicated community is as important as that which takes place in traditional learning environments like the classroom. Since knowledge communities can be implemented within any organization, the benefits can be leveraged in businesses of all sizes.