Improving the Connections between Research, Practice, and Policy: A Report and Discussion with the CIES Ad-Hoc Committee on Knowledge Mobilization, New Media

Session Submission Type: Roundtable Session

Description of Session

Knowledge mobilization initiatives in higher education institutions and professional associations have historically been launched in response to the concern that the ability to use research produced by the social scientists was hindered by both the conceptual and physical inaccessibility of the research produced in this sector. For example, the ‘traditional’ forms of academic dissemination through articles in refereed journals primarily reach academic readers, while remaining largely inaccessible to policymakers and practitioners. Equally important is the question of what knowledge becomes mobilized and how “local” and indigenous perspectives could be re-centered in the knowledge production processes dominated by Western epistemologies. In the field of comparative and international education, an additional concern is the lack of ongoing interaction among the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) members that goes beyond annual conferences and regional meetings. In this context, knowledge mobilization (KM) is broadly defined as a set of deliberate strategies to increase the accessibility, impact, and usability of research for the common good through multi-dimensional, interactive strategies that target a wide range of stakeholders, including scholars, practitioners, policy makers, educators, and community members. These strategies also include activities to support internal networking and communication among the CIES members.

This panel is intended to serve as a forum for public discussion on the charge of the Ad Hoc Committee on Knowledge Mobilization, New Media, and Member Communications, which formed in 2014 with two primary goals: (1) develop a knowledge mobilization strategy for the CIES and (2) propose a set of investments and activities for "moving the Society forward into a digital age" - both to increase knowledge accessibility, usability, and impact, as well as improve internal networking and communication among the CIES members.

Knowledge mobilization initiatives generally fall into four interrelated areas: (a) products, (b) events, (c) networks, and (d) media (Cooper & Levin, 2010). In the CIES case, this includes the following:

-Products (Comparative Education Review, CIES Newsletter, book series, websites, podcasts, promotional materials, PPT presentations, publications, etc.)
-Events (annual conferences, regional meetings, symposia, -workshops, award ceremonies, elections, panels, talks, etc.)
-Networks (SIGs, Listservs, directories of member contacts, online forums)
-Social Media (op-eds, blogs, radio, short videos, TV, etc.)

The first half of the panel will be devoted to presentation of preliminary analysis of a needs assessment of CIES members about their perspectives on, experiences with, and expectations for knowledge mobilization activities. This survey inquires into problem areas, and the actual experiences of the CIES members with various knowledge mobilization activities in order to help guide the ad-hoc committee in the development of the strategic plan. The discussion of the survey findings at the roundtable would offer an opportunity for the CIES members to share their experiences in the area of knowledge mobilization and get engaged in the development of the knowledge mobilization strategy.

The second half of the roundtable will open the forum to discussion about questions generated by the survey, particularly with a focus on cross-committee and cross-SIG communication regarding the knowledge mobilization strategy, and for discussion about additional questions generated by the ad-hoc committee:
-How can we make CIES archival data more accessible to the CIES members and the broader audience? How can this be incorporated in the KM strategy?
-How can we account for the different CIES “identities,” i.e. the society itself and the different SIGs within it? How will different networks within CIES be folded in the KM strategy?
-How can we communicate a more inclusive nature of the CIES? Should we consider incorporating different languages in the CIES website?

The goal of the panel is to seek feedback from the broader CIES community on the Society’s knowledge mobilization strategy, including discussion of the strategic goals as they relate to the broad constituencies within CIES, and the partners, institutions, agencies ,and audiences with whom our Society’s membership engage through their academic and professional work.

Sub Unit

• General Pool

Chair

• Karen Mundy, Global Partnership for Education

Presenters

• Keita Takayama, University of New England

• Gustavo Fischman, Arizona State University

• Christopher Frey, Bowling Green State University

• Ameena Ghaffar-Kucher, University of Pennsylvania

• Mariusz Galczynski, McGill University, Canada

• Jayson Richardson, University of Kentucky

Discussant

• Iveta Silova, Lehigh University