Showing papers on "Tacit knowledge published in 1989"

A comparative study of think-aloud and critical decision knowledge elicitation methods

Abstract: The knowledge elicitation phase of expert system development continues to be identified as a major hurdle in construction of comprehensive, functional expert systems (Berry, 1987; Hoffman, 1987). One of the major difficulties is that expert knowledge is multifaceted. The expert has both explicit, objective knowledge and knowledge that is more implicitly understood. Such tacit knowledge is among the most difficult for experts to articulate on their own. Reliance on standard interview methods or unstructured think-aloud protocols may inadvertently bias the knowledge engineer into focusing on those aspects of the task that can be reasonable well represented within if/then, rule-based systems. The systems that result may lack critical components of expert knowledge. It is therefore essential that knowledge elicitation methods be sensitive to the contributions made by tacit knowledge and perceptual learning (Berry, 1987; Collins, Green, & Draper, 1985; Klein, Calderwood, & MacGregor, in press).

Rapid Prototyping With Fourth Generation Systems – An Empirical Study

Abstract: Discusses experiences on the development and use of horizontal and vertical prototypes. Explains the difference. Resolves that horizontal prototypes can be developed with ′little effort′, but end users are reluctant to become involved in the development process. Contrastingly resolves that vertical prototypes appear to stimulate constructive response. Reasons that developers should be aware of the tacit knowledge which plays an important part in users′ work practices and should be involved early in the development process. Proposes three techniques to meet the requirements – participation, simulation and evaluation.

Tacit knowledge, working life and scientific method

Abstract: What is tacit knowledge? What role does it play in working life? What does this imply for our understanding, say, of the implications of new technology such as Expert Systems for working life? What do philos­ ophers of science have to learn from working life studies? These have been the principle issues which preoccupied me in the course of my stay at Arbetslivscentrum. In what follows I propose to answer these questions, at least in a preliminary way, with a view to elucidating the perspective of the project "Utbildning-Arbete-Teknik" with which I have been associated. This amounts to clarifying a number of issues about which there is a good deal of confusion relating to the crucial notion of tacit knowledge, the ways in which theory of knowledge (a term I much dislike but employ for want of a better one) can clarify our understanding of working life, as well as the role working life studies can play in the development of the theory of knowledge. It is, then, at once a compilation of the ideas which have been most central to my work in the Center as well as a statement of what I take back to the academic world from my experiences at the Center. It is hardly intended to be comprehensive; rather it is a sketch of what I, as a philosopher, take to be the most challenging and exciting notions that I have encountered confronting the "real world" of work. My aim, then, is to provide a certain orientation with respect to the role that philos­ ophy can play in helping us better to understand working life but also to suggest how philosophers can learn a great deal about certain vexing problems from working life studies. It is, therefore, important to emphasize that what is presented here is at once a resume and a program rather than an analysis. With that in mind, we can begin by asking: what is tacit knowledge? In the face of misunderstandings as widespread as they are erroneous, the first thing that has to be said loudly and clearly is that there is nothing whatsoever mysterious or arcane about tacit knowledge. It has nothing whatsoever to do with ESP, Rosicrucianism or any such esoteric lore. It is a familiar part of our everyday experience. Indeed, it is that very familiarity which tends to lead us to overlook its importance 211

Qualitative and quantitative reasoning about thermodynamics

Abstract: One goal of qualitative physics is to capture the tacit knowledge of engineers and scientists. It is shown how Qualitative Process theory can be used to express concepts of engineering thermodynamics. In particular, it is shown how to integrate qualitative and quantitative knowledge to solve textbook problems involving thermodynamic cycles, such as gas turbine plants and steam power plants. These ideas were implemented in a program called SCHISM. Its analysis of a sample textbook problem is described and plans for future work are discussed.

Connectionism, modularity, and tacit knowledge

Abstract: In this paper, I define tacit knowledge as a kind of causal-explanatory structure, mirroring the derivational structure in the theory that is tacitly known. On this definition, tacit knowledge does not have to be explicitly represented. I then take the notion of a modular theory, and project the idea of modularity to several different levels of description; in particular, to the processing level and the neurophysiological level. The fundamental description of a connectionist network lies at a level between the processing level and the physiological level. At this level, connectionism involves a characteristic departure from modularity, and a correlative absence of syntactic structure. This is linked to the fact that tacit knowledge descriptions of networks are only approximately true. A consequence is that strict causal systematicity in cognitive processes poses a problem for the connectionist programme.

Cognition and affect in musical performance

Abstract: The cognitive basis of musical performance is discussed in the context of the problem of how to construct a humanoid robot that could play a Chopin waltz. This allows the discussion to focus critically on issues ranging from the mechanics of movement to the cognitive representation in planning a performance. In doing so it makes explicit the varieties of knowledge buried in the nervous system, most of which are inaccessible to introspection. Finally it raises the possibility that knowledge may not be enough and that we have to give the robot feelings about itself as a performer and about the social context and tradition of music making.

Tacit Knowledge and the Problem of Computer Modelling Cognitive Processes in Science

Abstract: Once one has said that there is a “tacit dimension” of some sort to communication or to some cognitive activity, it seems like an appropriate step to make it a topic for research. The difficulty with this suggestion is that it assumes that in fact we have some sort of unproblematic mode of access to our implicit understandings, to the “tacit dimension.” To be sure, sometimes portions of this “dimension” are revealed to us, as when we find that others don’t share some procedure we follow “naturally” or habitually, or when we find ourselves in circumstances where these procedures fail, and we are forced to, and can, find replacements for them. But these are perhaps exceptional cases, revealed for us through contingent and possibly rare circumstances. And if this is so, it follows that a project of revealing the tacit dimension would depend on some premises that would give one some assurances that one’s techniques indeed reveal the necessary parts of it. It is one thing to have a method of turning over rocks to see if there are salamanders under them; it is another to form a project of counting all the salamanders in a given area, for one doesn’t know that they are all assessable by the known means.

The Background to the Project

Abstract: The personal experience out of which this project grew can be described in very few words. From about 1968, in collaboration with colleagues, I had been developing a theory, and a large software package, which would allow the computer-aided design (CAD) of control systems. The aim was to give the designer a more powerful tool to aid him in his work: a computer with graphic display and interactive conversational working, rather than paper and pencil and slide-rule. Our approach at that time was not a question of principle, but arose from previous industrial experience and our intention to use the methods we developed for our own purposes.

''Blips of Meaning": The Transformation of Reader and History Text

Abstract: The study focused on the interpretations of eight “good” or effective Secondary One teachers. It suggests that the teachers interpreted the “text” (consisting of 12 elements) on the basis of their practical knowledge. The teachers tended to describe the literal meaning of the content. This, however, is a rather restricted form of interpretation which ignores the role of both the reader and the plurality of meanings in the message(s) of the text. To be receptive to the text, the teachers need to reflect on their often taken-for-granted knowledge and practices. The repertory grid was used to elicit such tacit knowledge. Like a mirror, the grid reflected to the teacher his or her own frame of reference for his or her consideration. This is a vital first step in the transformation of both the teacher and his or her interpretation of the text.

(How) Can Technology be Redirected? A Scandinavian Perspective

Abstract: Is it really possible to redirect technology, and if so, what does if take to do it? These were among the questions that were on my mind when I first joined with the project; and, while I still feel there is no definite answer, I would like to share some reflections from the outside on what it might take and how I would interpret the project in that respect.