Capturing of Experience

Paper number

IAC-12,D5,2,3,x13947

Author

Mr. Siegmar Pallaschke, Consultant, Germany

Coauthor

Ms. Roberta Mugellesi-Dow, European Space Agency (ESA), Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Raul Cano Argamasilla, Terma GmbH at ESA/ESOC, Germany

Year

2012

Abstract

Capturing of knowledge is required at regular times but at least at project termination or when a staff member leaves the position. For this kind of knowledge capturing the methods of expert debriefing and interviews are well known and detailed procedures are available.

However, capturing of experience is more complex. This is related to the difficulty of expressing and writing down one’s own experience. Experience includes three aspects: Experience assumes action; experience demands engagement over a longer time and furthermore, experience requires a certain distance to the action/ subject as experience only originates from the reflection over the own activities.. One speaks of knowledge by experience or empirical knowledge. Knowledge by experience of a person is hardly detectable from the outside. Furthermore, knowledge by experience is also difficult to describe in words. Sometimes one is even not aware of its own experience. Knowledge by experience becomes visible for the outside by the correct way of acting.

Furthermore the splitting of experience with respect to two perspectives should be mentioned. On one hand it is the one gained within the own specialized technical domain and on the other hand the one related to the environment (communities, corporate culture).

A significant role in the capturing of experience play the narrative methods, sometimes called Story Telling. Narrative methods do not only consist of telling of occurrences, events or episodes but they also include the usage of pictures, metaphors and analogies. Especially in the expert-layman-communication narrative methods are extremely helpful.

 

The proposed paper will deal with the incorporation of knowledge by experience in the standard knowledge capture procedure. It will include the chapters:

-  Literature search on narrative methods and their application

-  Identification of experience held by the interviewee

-  Enhancement of knowledge capture procedure with respect to experience

Abstract document

IAC-12,D5,2,3,x13947.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-12,D5,2,3,x13947.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

To get the manuscript, please contact IAF Secretariat.