Knowledge bank
The Knowledge Bank is an e-learning tool developed by the William Lee Innovation Centre at the University of Manchester in the United Kingdom. Development started in 2005 and is due to be completed in June 2007. The system is being developed with funds from the European Union (via the European Social Fund) to provide free multidisciplinary training to textile companies in the United Kingdom. Development forms part of the wider Knowledge for Innovation (K4I) project which aims to promote innovation in the textile industry. The European textile sector has suffered in recent years as a result of increasing globalisation, making cheaper imports available to consumers. The project aims to encourage textile companies to produce more innovative products, avoiding competition based solely on price.
The content is also being used by textile students at the University of Manchester.
The system is unique in that it has been designed specifically for the needs of small textile businesses through a collaboration between academics and industry experts. Modules have been created to give learners a basic grounding in knitting technology, clothing technology and modern fibres as well as more detailed information AbOUT specialist areas such as e-textiles and medical textile innovations. These modules use the latest technology to demonstrate complex techniques and theories which have proved difficult to describe in previous, more traditional learning material. Animations, interactive 3D illustrations and film clips are all used to teach learners about a wide variety of textile-related subjects.
Learning is tailored to the needs of each individual, with learning maps taking them through the information most likely to be of relevance to them.
Future developments include plans to use the Knowledge Bank as a training tool for nurses in areas where advanced textiles are being used to treat medical conditions. As well as Providing an introduction to the innovative Scan2Knit compression treatment for venous ulceration, the learning material will provide a basic education in venous disease, including interactive demonstrations to assist in both diagnosis and treatment. Additional interactive modules, in different areas of science and engineering, will be made available over the next year.