Re: Transfer, ladders, Amtrak

Rolfe Windward (rwindwar who-is-at ucla.edu)
Wed, 23 Jul 1997 08:31:15 -0700

One element that seems to be missing in the Amtrak worker problem is the
nature of tacit knowledge and embodiment. The 'scientific' route is to
translate upwards, the solution for the worker (who clearly _does have the
knowledge at the situated level) may be to translate sideways: to get up
from the test chair and enact the problem solution, describing his actions
as he goes. But there, perhaps, he runs into the problem of imagining a
different yard -- a specific yard, his yard -- than the generalized model
yard of the test and so vocalizes answers that are 'only close.' Maybe
correct for his yard, but not for the model.

His problem may be difficult, possibly even impossible, to surmount but the
test is not necessarily made trivial or meaningless thereby. Still, it _is a
filter. If he is to be promoted to a position where he must imagine the
situations of others because he is not there in person, to give commands
that may affect their lives, he must be able to do more than point.

It would be better if a performance based assessment specific to his yard
could be provided. But that is probably too much to ask. And if his new
position required that he move from yard to yard, it could even be misleading.

An interesting conundrum. But if enactment does not work there is always the
old standby: brute memorization of a few hundred questions from previous
tests. Not very PC but perhaps his only way through this particular gate.

Rolfe Windward M.Ed., Ph.D.
Science/Technology Curriculum & Teaching
email: rwindwar who-is-at ucla.edu (until September 15, 1997)
70014.646 who-is-at compuserve.com
webpage: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/rwindward/