Knowledge Acquisition by Networks of Interacting Agents in the Presence of Observation Errors

In this work we investigate knowledge acquisition as performed by multiple agents interacting as they infer, under the presence of observation errors, respective models of a complex system. We focus the specific case in which, at each time step, each agent takes into account its current observation as well as the average of the models of its neighbors. The agents are connected by a network of interaction of Erd\H{o}s-Renyi or Barabasi-Albert type. First we investigate situations in which one of the agents has a different probability of observation error (higher or lower). It is shown that the influence of this special agent over the quality of the models inferred by the rest of the network can be substantial, varying linearly with the respective degree of the agent with different estimation error. In case the degree of this agent is taken as a respective fitness parameter, the effect of the different estimation error is even more pronounced, becoming superlinear. To complement our analysis, we provide the analytical solution of the overall behavior of the system. We also investigate the knowledge acquisition dynamic when the agents are grouped into communities. We verify that the inclusion of edges between agents (within a community) having higher probability of observation error promotes the loss of quality in the estimation of the agents in the other communities.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figures. A working manuscrip

Knowledge Acquisition Mechanisms during New Technology Implementation Process of Malaysia’s Automotive Engineering Support Industry

Malaysia’s engineering support industry is crucial in supporting the country’s industry development because it is integrating to other economic sectors including manufacturing, construction, transportation and the primary industry. Players in this industry starting to upgrade their facilities and adopting new technologies to fulfill rigorous requirement of original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) for parts and components along with precision engineering service. Beside technology adoption, knowledge is the main advantage of firm to compete in the turbulence and increasingly complex new business environment. This research aims to explain the specific knowledge acquisition mechanisms used for three knowledge level as proposed by previous researcher. Semi-structured interview was conducted in two participating automotive tooling companies in Selangor to collect data for the study. Thematic analysis was conducted using NVivo. Results of this study found that among the knowledge acquisition mechanisms for declarative knowledge mentioned by the interviewees are basic training, intellectual capital, pre-departure training and instructor manual. The knowledge acquisition mechanisms for procedure knowledge includes external OJT, hiring external expert, related working experience, local training, benchmarking and personal observation. Finally, the knowledge acquisition mechanisms for conditional knowledge includes continuous improvement, learning by doing, project review and trial and error.

Socio-self Construction of Knowledge and Acquisition of Cognitive Competencies in Reading: Case of Learners of Class 5 of Maroua Primary Schools, Far-North Region of Cameroon

The present article enrols in the debate on the autonomisation of the learner as base of the learning of reading. We have gone from the observation that a good number of pupils leave the primary school without having acquired the basics of reading. They are estimated at about 65% of the school population (Minedub, 2016). This situation has lead us to question ourselves on the influence of socio-self construction of knowledge on the acquisition of cognitive competencies in reading. The methodology used is that of hypothetico-deductive coupled with quantitative data analysis, those data that had been collected with the help of an experimental device bearing a pre-test, a test and a post-test besides two groups (experimental and control) of 60 pupils each of class 5 of two primary schools of the town of Maroua. The experiment was supplemented by an observation and evaluation chart (checklist) of reading administered to learners in each group. The analysis of the data collected on the field was done using a Z test and content analysis of observation checklists. Results have shown that the practice of socio-self construction of knowledge favours the acquisition of cognitive competencies in reading. Keywords: Socio-self construction, acquisition of cognitive competencies, learning

The process of knowledge acquisition through interpersonal communication in the "Parents as first teachers" programme : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Management in Communication Management at Massey University

Communication researchers interested in the role played by knowledge in social terms have produced a variety of explorations in recent times of "knowledge gaps" and informational inequities between various groups in society. More broadly, studies of the significance of issues of relative access to information and thus ability to participate in civil society have been described as the sociology of knowledge. Arising out of an interest in documenting successful strategies in bridging knowledge gaps, the present study aimed to explore an information programme called Parents As First Teachers (PAFT), which operates on the basis of a one­ to-one relationship between informationally needy individuals (parents of newborn infants) and trained experts in parenting matters. This arrangement continues monthly for three years. It seemed likely that this information programme could present an example of an effective receiver-focused model of bridging knowledge gaps. A series of 22 in-depth interviews was conducted with parent and educator participants in the PAFT programme in Auckland, New Zealand. In addition, observation was carried out of the hour-long monthly home visits so that a detailed picture could be obtained of the significance of the interpersonal relationship between parent and educator for effective learning. Transcripts of interviews were analysed using a coding protocol developed on the basis of the research objectives. The study found limited support for the contentions of extant information poverty literature in regard to self-imposed isolation and avoiding disclosing problems. Interviewees preferred to isolate themselves within their neighbourhoods, but they did seek information via family and social networks. They were also highly motivated in regard to seeking the best for their children, and it is possible that motivation in this instance has been a more powerful factor in knowledge acquisition than education, often used as a predictor of response to informational need. The significance of this study is in its detailed presentation of the information world of the insider, and the support the data give for a situational approach to knowledge gaps. It signals that there is a definite role for a close and trusting interpersonal relationship between source and receiver in the knowledge acquisition process. Two key areas for follow-up studies are the role played by interpersonal communication networks in disseminating knowledge beyond the original knowledge exchange context, and whether the strong motivation observed in the parents interviewed for this research was attributable to the PAFT programme itself or was a characteristic already present in participants

Autonomously acquiring declarative and procedural knowledge for ICAT systems

The construction of Intelligent Computer Aided Training (ICAT) systems is critically dependent on the ability to define and encode knowledge. This knowledge engineering effort can be broadly divided into two categories: domain knowledge and expert or task knowledge. Domain knowledge refers to the physical environment or system with which the expert interacts. Expert knowledge consists of the set of procedures and heuristics employed by the expert in performing their task. Both these areas are a significant bottleneck in the acquisition of knowledge for ICAT systems. This paper presents a research project in the area of autonomous knowledge acquisition using a passive observation concept. The system observes an expert and then generalizes the observations into production rules representing the domain expert's knowledge

Considerations for application of skill acquisition in Sport : an example from tennis

Skill acquisition principles are crucial to prepare athletes for superior performance in sport, but, in training athletes, coaches have focused less on these principles than they have on the design of training. This paper provides an overview of how a skill acquisition specialist disseminated scientific knowledge to amateur and professional coaches and initiated collaboration to improve practice design. First, a framework of representative task design is outlined, which considers perception and action components of sports skills in practice tasks relative to the competition setting. Second, with elite tennis as an example, steps are described as to how the skill acquisition specialist can initiate collaboration with coaches to evaluate practice tasks and make recommendations using representative task design. This approach includes delivery of a seminar to educate coaches, observation of practice tasks to rate representative task design with recommendations made, and factors identified by coaches that should be considered when applying skill acquisition principles. Factors identified by coaches related to presentation of anticipatory cues, practice variability, individualization of practice, skill complexity, and consistency of skill tests. Collectively, this paper provides insight into how skill acquisition specialists can collaborate with coaches to disseminate knowledge, and it presents some of the challenges and solutions of designing representative practice tasks in sport

Extracting expertise from experts: Methods for knowledge acquisition

Knowledge acquisition is the biggest bottleneck in the development of expert systems. Fortunately, the process of translating expert knowledge to a form suitable for expert system development can benefit from methods developed by cognitive science to reveal human knowledge structures. There are two classes of these investigative methods, direct and indirect. We provide reviews, criteria for use, and literature sources for all principal methods. Direct methods discussed are: interviews, questionnaires, observation of task performance, protocol analysis, interruption analysis, closed curves, and inferential flow analysis. Indirect methods include: multidimensional scaling, hierarchical clustering, general weighted networks, ordered trees, and repertory grid analysis.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/73498/1/j.1468-0394.1987.tb00139.x.pd

Teachers' classroom feedback: still trying to get it right

This article examines feedback traditionally given by teachers in schools. Such feedback tends to focus on children's acquisition and retrieval of externally prescribed knowledge which is then assessed against mandated tests. It suggests that, from a sociocultural learning perspective, feedback directed towards such objectives may limit children's social development. In this article, I draw on observation and interview data gathered from a group of 27 9- to 10-year olds in a UK primary school. These data illustrate the children's perceived need to conform to, rather than negotiate, the teacher's feedback comments. They highlight the children's sense that the teacher's feedback relates to school learning but not to their own interests. The article also includes alternative examples of feedback which draw on children's own inquiries and which relate to the social contexts within which, and for whom, they act. It concludes by suggesting that instead of looking for the right answer to the question of what makes teachers' feedback effective in our current classrooms, a more productive question might be how a negotiation can be opened up among teachers and learners themselves, about how teachers' feedback could support children's learning most appropriately