Ways of delivering tacit knowledge in e-learning

Abstract

There are two basic types of human knowledge: explicit and tacit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is codified and consists of facts, rules and procedures and its owners are aware of it. Tacit knowledge helps its possessors to use their explicit knowledge. Personal experience, perceptions, insights, aptitudes and know-how that are implied or indicated but not actually expressed — they are hidden in the minds of their owners. Explicit knowledge has no meaning without relevant tacit knowledge; it remains a collection of memorized pieces of mosaic. Good teaching methodologies must develop and enhance both forms of learners' knowledge. In our paper, we study the difference in between their delivery in traditional (on-site) learning and e-learning. We concentrate primarily on tacit knowledge delivery because our long-time e-learning experience shows that there is almost no difference between traditional learning and e-learning in delivering explicit knowledge. The presence or absence of the educator may result in big differences in students' tacit knowledge. E-learning educational methodologies should concentrate on its development. The authors designed and developed a method based on best practices of Knowledge Management, in particular on the Nonaka-Takeuchi SECI model of learning. It combines gaining of both tacit and explicit knowledge during four stages: Socialization, Externalization, Combination, and Internalization. Each of them requires specific teaching activities for its development. Socialization evolves communication with the educator as well as among students; Externalization helps the students to express their knowledge in a legible form. During Combination the students evolve their existing knowledge and share it with their classmates. During Internalization they co-opt their knowledge to make it an integral part of their individual knowledge system. Every e-learning course must demonstrate all of these components — naturally, in different formats depending on the course content and its learning objectives. All courses at our university are delivered in both on-site and online modes. The stepwise development of our on-line methodology allowed us to reach the quality of knowledge of our external students' comparable with that of the students of daily courses. To demonstrate it, we compare the grades of traditional students with their online counterparts from five courses in which tacit knowledge is crucial since none of them can be passed by the mere memorization of facts. Contrary, students must comprehend the content and be able to demonstrate it practically. The exam results show no substantial differences. Lessons learned from our methodology development allow us to make its generalization and recommend those educational activities that lead towards a higher portion and quality of tacit knowledge. As tacit knowledge guide us in applying the explicit one, its presence result in more durable, solid and sustainable knowledge.