Learning with SHARP: the pedagogy

Click anywhere to continueClick anywhere to continue

Learning with SHARP: Learning with SHARP: the pedagogythe pedagogy

The SHARP approach is designed to meet a particular learning The SHARP approach is designed to meet a particular learning need: to enable people to acquire and improve their ‘working need: to enable people to acquire and improve their ‘working knowledge.knowledge.

This is a short excursion into what we mean by ‘working This is a short excursion into what we mean by ‘working knowledge’, and how the SHARP approach can facilitate the knowledge’, and how the SHARP approach can facilitate the learning process. learning process.

Pedagogy excursionPedagogy excursion

Slide 1 of 7Slide 1 of 7


The problem of ‘inert knowledge’The problem of ‘inert knowledge’

Much of what is learned in formal educational systemsMuch of what is learned in formal educational systems – schools, – schools, universities, training classrooms – universities, training classrooms – proves not to be accessible proves not to be accessible outside the context in which it was learned.outside the context in which it was learned. It is described as ‘inert It is described as ‘inert knowledge’. Three possible explanations have been given:knowledge’. Three possible explanations have been given:

The relevant knowledge is (potentially) available, but the learner The relevant knowledge is (potentially) available, but the learner cannot access it at the time they need it.cannot access it at the time they need it.

The relevant knowledge is structured in the wrong way (for The relevant knowledge is structured in the wrong way (for example for recall in an examination, but not for use in solving example for recall in an examination, but not for use in solving an unfamiliar problem).an unfamiliar problem).

The knowledge is fundamentally The knowledge is fundamentally situatedsituated: that is, it is : that is, it is unreasonable to expect it to ‘transfer’ because situations are unreasonable to expect it to ‘transfer’ because situations are unique, problem solving is specific and the very idea of transfer unique, problem solving is specific and the very idea of transfer is questionable.is questionable.

Pedadogy excursionPedadogy excursion



Developing ‘working knowledge’Developing ‘working knowledge’

We use the term ‘working knowledge’ to mean the opposite of inert We use the term ‘working knowledge’ to mean the opposite of inert knowledge. knowledge. It is knowledge that studentsIt is knowledge that students have acquired and which have acquired and which they they can use in unfamiliar, real world, problem-solving situationscan use in unfamiliar, real world, problem-solving situations..

‘‘Working knowledge’ also connotes Working knowledge’ also connotes knowledge that is characteristic knowledge that is characteristic of real-world workplacesof real-world workplaces: situated, job-specific knowledge as well : situated, job-specific knowledge as well as more general vocationally-relevant knowledge.as more general vocationally-relevant knowledge.

The SHARP approach uses asynchronous multimedia conferencing The SHARP approach uses asynchronous multimedia conferencing (AMC) as a way of helping:(AMC) as a way of helping: students to develop working knowledge by giving them insights students to develop working knowledge by giving them insights

into how work is actually carried out, andinto how work is actually carried out, and practitioners to improve their working knowledge by examining practitioners to improve their working knowledge by examining

their ‘tacit’ knowledge (knowledge they use in their jobs but their ‘tacit’ knowledge (knowledge they use in their jobs but which is difficult to put into words).which is difficult to put into words).

Technology excursionTechnology excursion



Learning in communities of practiceLearning in communities of practice

SHARP adopts an idea first put forward by JITOL (Lewis, SHARP adopts an idea first put forward by JITOL (Lewis, Goodyear & Boder, 1992; Goodyear, 1995): if you are working on a Goodyear & Boder, 1992; Goodyear, 1995): if you are working on a programme of continuing professional development with programme of continuing professional development with experienced practitioners, you need to organise the programme experienced practitioners, you need to organise the programme forfor a distributed community of practice and provide it a distributed community of practice and provide it byby telematics- telematics-based ODL methods.based ODL methods.

This requires that groups of university staff cluster around a This requires that groups of university staff cluster around a community of practice (rather than around an academic discipline) community of practice (rather than around an academic discipline) and use telematics-based ODL methods to build and sustain the and use telematics-based ODL methods to build and sustain the community.community.

Goodyear, P. (1995) Situated action and distributed knowledge: a JITOL perspective on electronic performance support systems, Educational and Training Technology International (32,1) 45-55.

Lewis, R., Goodyear, P., and Boder, A. Just in Time Open Learning, Neuropelab Occasional Paper NL/1/92, Archamps, France: Neuropelab 1992.




The ‘evolving knowledge base’The ‘evolving knowledge base’

JITOL developed the idea of an ‘evolving knowledge base’, created JITOL developed the idea of an ‘evolving knowledge base’, created from a library of the interactions between practitioners. This from a library of the interactions between practitioners. This evolving knowledge base is seen as a way of capturing much that evolving knowledge base is seen as a way of capturing much that is topical and innovative in the working practices of the community.is topical and innovative in the working practices of the community.

Although the ‘evolving knowledge base’ idea was never fully Although the ‘evolving knowledge base’ idea was never fully worked out in JITOL, it remains a powerful way of conceptualising worked out in JITOL, it remains a powerful way of conceptualising how a community of practice might begin to share its working how a community of practice might begin to share its working knowledge.knowledge.

JITOL was limited to text-based representations of working JITOL was limited to text-based representations of working practices and working knowledge. SHARP provides an opportunity practices and working knowledge. SHARP provides an opportunity to add multimedia to the toolkit, to allow practitioners more natural to add multimedia to the toolkit, to allow practitioners more natural and vivid ways of representing what they do and some of what they and vivid ways of representing what they do and some of what they know.know.




Representations of practiceRepresentations of practice

In setting up a SHARP style AMC you will be asking practitioners to In setting up a SHARP style AMC you will be asking practitioners to make representations of their working practices. The key medium make representations of their working practices. The key medium for this is the video clip.for this is the video clip.

Video clips are short pieces of video, typically between 5 seconds Video clips are short pieces of video, typically between 5 seconds and 5 minutes long, which represent some relevant aspect of a and 5 minutes long, which represent some relevant aspect of a practitioner’s work. practitioner’s work.




Using video clips to good effectUsing video clips to good effect

Video is a vivid medium that, if used appropriately, can be closely Video is a vivid medium that, if used appropriately, can be closely tied to the actuality of what practitioners do. By making good use of tied to the actuality of what practitioners do. By making good use of video clips you will be able to enable your AMC to remain focused video clips you will be able to enable your AMC to remain focused on the actuality of real world working practices. It is an idea that on the actuality of real world working practices. It is an idea that relates strongly to an approach presented by Bransford et al. relates strongly to an approach presented by Bransford et al. (1990), called ‘anchored instruction’.(1990), called ‘anchored instruction’.

‘‘At the heart of the model is an emphasis on the importance of creating an At the heart of the model is an emphasis on the importance of creating an anchor or focus that generates interest and enables students to identify and anchor or focus that generates interest and enables students to identify and define problems and to pay attention to their own perception and comprehension define problems and to pay attention to their own perception and comprehension of those problems. They can then be introduced to information that is relevant to of those problems. They can then be introduced to information that is relevant to their anchored perceptions. The major goal of anchored instruction is to enable their anchored perceptions. The major goal of anchored instruction is to enable students to notice critical features of problem situations and to experience the students to notice critical features of problem situations and to experience the changes in their perception and understanding of the anchor as they view the changes in their perception and understanding of the anchor as they view the situation from new points of view.’situation from new points of view.’

Bransford, J. et al. (1990) anchored instruction: why we need it and how technology can help, in Nix, D. and Spiro, R., eds, Cognition, education and multimedia, Erlbaum, 115-141.




You have completed the You have completed the corecore part of the SHARP tour. part of the SHARP tour.

Please choose any of the following excursions : Please choose any of the following excursions :

Where to now?Where to now?

TechnologyTechnology PedagogyPedagogy

Making video clipsMaking video clips Making annotationsMaking annotations

End the tourEnd the tour


On from hereOn from here

Thank you for taking the SHARP tour. Thank you for taking the SHARP tour.

Please go on now to explore the rest of the SHARP web site. You Please go on now to explore the rest of the SHARP web site. You can:can:

Sign our [Guestbook]Sign our [Guestbook]

Contribute to the [Discussion area]Contribute to the [Discussion area]

Go to the [Project Office] for more details of the SHARP project.Go to the [Project Office] for more details of the SHARP project.

Look at [Events] for information on upcoming dissemination Look at [Events] for information on upcoming dissemination events.events.

Experiment with [WebOrama], a prototype AMC tool.Experiment with [WebOrama], a prototype AMC tool.

Documents

Learning with SHARP: the pedagogy