Development of Knowledge Management System for Enhancing Teaching and Learning in Libyan Institutes of Higher Learning
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: Knowledge management systems (KMS) remain underdeveloped in Libyan Higher Institutes of Learning, where academic staff work in isolation and rarely collaborate or share professional knowledge. This study aimed to develop a prototype Libyan Academic Knowledge Management System (LA-KMS) to foster connecting, collaborating, and sharing knowledge among academicians. A Design-Based Research approach using iterative design and development was adopted, involving 71 academicians across three main stages. In Stage 1, six academicians were interviewed and existing systems reviewed to identify problems with current knowledge-sharing practices; the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was used to analyze results, identifying design features and web-based heuristics, with ease-of-use confirmed as essential for adoption. A first prototype was then developed and evaluated by 15 academicians, who reported poor functionality and reluctance to adopt or recommend it. A second, improved prototype was developed addressing this feedback; its evaluation showed that ease-of-use heuristics were satisfied, with all respondents willing to adopt it if fully implemented. All four research objectives were achieved, covering the KMS literature and architecture, challenges facing Libyan institutions, development of LA-KMS guided by TAM and ease-of-use heuristics, and the two-round prototype evaluation. This study is the first in Libya to apply Design-Based Research Methodology with TAM to develop a web-based KMS artifact for academicians, using interviews for specification and questionnaires for evaluation. The main limitation is that participants were predominantly from Tripoli, as the civil war and the COVID-19 pandemic restricted travel to other regions of Libya.
DOI: 10.71147/n8kwwm30
Language: English
Subfield: Education
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
SDG: Quality education
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7204544217