Showing papers on "Knowledge acquisition published in 1979"

A domain-independent production-rule system for consultation programs

Abstract: EMYCIN IS a programming system for writing knowledge-based consultation programs with a production-rule representation of knowledge. The major components of the system, including an explanation program and knowledge acquisition routines, are briefly described. EMYCIN has been used to build consultation systems m several areas of medicine, as well as an engineering domain. These experiences lead to some general conclusions regarding the potential applicability of EMYCIN to new domains.

Interests in News and the Knowledge Gap

Abstract: Although prior evidence identified socioeconomic status as a key factor in the consumption of public affairs news information, equivalent evidence suggests that individual interests in news events are related to media consumption and information acquisition. Here, the comparative strengths of these two propositions are analyzed in the context of the "knowledge gap" hypothesis. For two news events, two-wave data from community samples assessed social interest and self-interest in the news, level of education, and knowledge about different aspects of the news events. Interest was more strongly related to knowledge than education, particularly for more complex information. Further, between the two field waves, more new information was learned by those with higher levels of interest. B.K.L. Genova is Assistant Professor in the School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, New York, and Bradley S. Greenberg is Professor of Communication and Telecommunication at Michigan State University. Public Opinion Quarterly ? 1979 by The Trustees of Columbia University Published by Elsevier North-Holland, Inc. 0033-362X/79/0043-0079/$1.75 This content downloaded from 157.55.39.176 on Sat, 09 Apr 2016 06:44:59 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 80 GENOVA AND GREENBERG demonstrated to diffuse somewhat more rapidly to high SES adults than to lower SES citizens (Budd et al., 1966). There is no quarrel with the proposition that certain background characteristics such as education contribute to the capacities of audience members to respond to and assimilate incoming media information (Wade and Schramm, 1969). Hyman et al. (1975) have written that the process of education creates an "enduring" receptivity to knowledge. There is, however, a body of research evidence which posits that the choice of media information to consume and the consequent learning of media information stem more immediately and directly from motivational interests of the public (Ettema and Kline, 1977). For example, one study of audience attention to television commercials for two gubernatorial campaigns showed strong ties with campaign interest and little support for demographic locators, such as education or occupation (Atkin et al., 1973). Another found interest strongly related to knowledge about an ongoing sports event (Greenberg et al., 1965). One domestic and one foreign study sought to isolate factors playing a role in political knowledge acquisition. Both concurred on the role played by interest predictors, suggesting that the process moves from interest through media use to political knowledge (Johnson, 1973; Bishop and McMartin, 1973). The correlation of political interest with political knowledge was as strong as that of media use with political knowledge in each study. These representative studies suggest that the interests of the public may be a central factor in what public affairs knowledge is gained. Implicit is the notion that interests may have something to do with education or socioeconomic status, but nowhere is that issue directly assessed, nor are the demographic locators separated from interest predispositions, within the knowledge gap scheme. Although education is likely to widen an individual's overall scope of interest, it is not necessary and perhaps not reasonable to assume that there are homogenous interests among similarly educated citizens, whether high or low in education. This study focuses on interest as a key component in assessing public affairs news information learning within the framework of the knowledge gap phenomenon. Here it is proposed that an interestbased model will permit a more sensitive examination of news information gain processes and will help trace the patterns of knowledge differences among mass media audiences. Figure 1 displays the model used. News information items are portrayed as having different distributions in their perceived interest for receivers, and information gain is presented as a function of those interests. Knowledge gains grow more rapidly among more interested public segments, during early This content downloaded from 157.55.39.176 on Sat, 09 Apr 2016 06:44:59 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms INTERESTS IN NEWS AND THE KNOWLEDGE GAP 81 Prlor~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -knowledge~~ ~ ~~~~~~~~ / x /

Individual Differences in Knowledge Acquisition from Maps

Abstract: : This study investigated the strategies people use to acquire knowledge from maps. Three expert and five novice map users studied a map and provided verbal protocols of their study behavior. Analysis of the learning protocols suggested four categories of processes that were invoked during learning: attention, encoding, evaluation, and control. Large individual differences in both performance and strategy usage were observed in this task. Analyses of the performance and strategy data revealed that the use of certain strategies in each category, particularly those used for encoding spatial information, was most predictive of learning performance. In addition, good learners differed from poor learners in their ability to evaluate their learning progress and to focus their attention on learned information. An analysis of the performance of map-using experts suggested that success in learning depended on strategies and not on familiarity with the task domain or materials. The implications of these results for training extertise in map learning are discussed.

Heuristics for knowledge acquisition from maps

Abstract: Acquiring knowledge from a map depends upon procedures for focusing attention, encoding information, and integrating diverse knowledge. This paper describes the heuristics people use to study and learn maps. Verbal protocols obtained from eight subjects suggested four categories of procedures that were invoked during learning: attention, encoding, evaluation, and control. The use of certain heuristics in each category was highly predictive of learning success. Good learners differed from poor learners in their ability to encode spatial information, to evaluate their learning progress, and to focus their attention in accordance with a learning plan. Many of the successful heuristics appear to be readily trainable.