Thanks, to Fiona Broadbent for explaining to me why I always get higher
evals from working MBAs than from undergraduates. Thanks, Fiona.
At 07:31 AM 1/23/98 +1100, you wrote:
>Hi,
>Australia, like a number of other countries, has gone several steps
further than this and developed a model that looks at competency as broader
than simple skills and knowledge to carry out a task or job. Competency
includes such things as being able to work in teams, develop and implement
contingency when one's skills and knowledge are inadequate for the
situation, and being able to manage the hundred and one other tasks that go
to make up the primary task.
>
>These are recorded as competency or skills standards and at the moment
cover most occupational and professional areas. To differentiate between
the levels of work that exist in these areas (eg, trainee, operator,
supervisor, manager, senior manager, director etc.) a number of descriptors
have been defined. These describe how the competencies are applied, not the
level or intensity of training that must go into them (as in the old
process of novice, expert etc which some institutions, including the armed
forces, still follow), and as such allow for the measurement of the outcome
of the application of skills and knowledge, not for the amount of skills
and knowledge an individual (or group) possesses. Much simpler, far less
messy, and beyond doubt much more equitable.
>
>For more info please give me a yell.
>
>PHIL RUTHERFORD
>
robnphil@ozemail.com.au
>
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Fiona Broadbent [SMTP:
F.Broadbent@MAILBOX.UQ.EDU.AU]
>Sent: Wednesday, 21 January 1998 10:12
>To:
MG-ED-DV@MAELSTROM.STJOHNS.EDU
>Subject: Tacit knowledge
>
>Kenneth Brown wrote:
>
>>It can be hard to learn by being told what to do - even when the
>>advice is sound. It sometimes easy to learn, however, when we
>>see someone elses competent performance. My hunch is that this
>>happens because competent performance requires skills and knowledge
>>that are tacit and therefore, by definition, cannot be told.
>>
>
>The work of the Dreyfus brothers is important here (sorry don't have full
>reference) - from their research into adult learning they formulated a
>model which is commonly known as the 'Novice to Expert' model. They found
>5 stages of differing ability in demonstrating skills: Novice; Advanced
>Beginner; Competent; Proficient; Expert. A novice requires rule-driven
>behaviour to be able to perform a task. Most people only become competent
>after about 2-3 years in a new job - once their at a competent stage they
>are able to articulate 'how' they do a task but they're aware of how often
>the 'rules' don't work. The way to move from competent to proficient and
>then expert is to place a competent person in a situation where the 'rules'
>for that task don't apply. It's only at the stages of proficiency and
>expertise, according to this model, where the skills and knowledge become
>'tacit'. The main point made by the Dreyfus' is that often we have experts
>teaching novices - whereas the experts' knowledge is tacit and often
>difficult to communicate. Instead we should have competent and proficient
>people teaching novices because they can articulate the rules which the
>novices need.
>
>Regards
>Fiona
>
>
>Fiona Broadbent
>Research Officer
>Graduate School of Education
>University of Queensland &
>Fisher & Paykel (Cleveland)
>Ph: (07) 3365 6643 / (07) 3286 8801
>
>Attachment Converted: "C:\PROGRAM FILES\EUDORA\Attach\Re Tacit knowledge"
>