Personal Knowledge Management among Adult Learners: Behind the Scene of Social Network

Abstract

The burst of Web 2.0 technology and socialnetworking tools manifest different styles of learning and managingknowledge among both knowledge workers and adult learners. In theWestern countries, open-learning concept has been made popular dueto the ease of use and the reach that the technology provides. InMalaysia, there are still some gaps between the learners’ acceptanceof technology and the full implementation of the technology in theeducation system. There is a need to understand how adult learners,who are knowledge workers, manage their personal knowledge viasocial networking tools, especially in their learning process. Four processes of personal knowledge management (PKM) and four cognitive enablers are proposed supported by analysed data on adultlearners in a university. The model derived from these processes andenablers is tested and presented, with recommendations on featuresto be included in adult learners’ learning environment.