Shall we dance? A design epistemology for organizational learning and performance

Abstract

Management experts claim that organizational learning, knowledge management, intellectual capital, and related concepts are more important to today's organizations than traditional assets such as natural resources and skilled labor. Management thus enters domains more typically studied by those in training, education, and human performance technology, and fundamental questions asked by philosophers are now asked by CEOs; for example, What is knowledge? and How do people learn? Cook and Brown (1999) responded with an attractive metaphor. They claimed that a "generative dance" of knowledge and knowing results in new knowledge and new knowing. However, they portrayed this dance as if it happens automatically. In this article, it is argued that human intentions play a major role, and that when intentions are added, the dance is accurately described as designing. Design, then, provides alternative answers to the fundamental questions about knowledge and learning, as well as different competencies for professional practice and different directions for enhancing organizational success. An attempt at such answers, competencies, and directions is made by linking literatures on learning and performance with design and by articulating what is essentially a design epistemology.

Development of Design Judgment in Instructional Design: Perspectives from Instructors, Students, and Instructional Designers

“…Students in this study reported that it is not possible to see the consequences of their design judgments in hypothetical projects, especially when there is limited feedback from the instructor with no client or real learner involved. The importance of authentic learning experiences for students under the guidance of experts has been emphasized by many ID scholars (Ertmer & Cennamo, 1995 ;Quinn, 1994Quinn, , 1995Rowland, 2004 ;Tripp, 1994 ).…”

“…In addition, expert modeling has been suggested by several scholars to better prepare student designers for real-world instructional design (Cennamo & Holmes, 2001 ;Rowland, 2004 ;Rowland et al, 1992 ). Findings from this study reveal that modeling by practicing designers can help develop design judgment in novice designers because they learn more about real-world experiences and challenges, and practicing designers can bring to the classroom another viewpoint in addition to what students learn from their instructors.…”

“…Even though there are privacy issues with companies, shadowing could be achieved through internships in which student interns are supervised by experienced designers. Internships provide real-world experience for students in real settings where they can observe how professional designers design (Rowland, 2004 ). While internships are perceived to be "eye-opening" by participants of this study because they provide students opportunity to deal with real-world design situations and observe professional designers while they are designing, internship is required in only three of the programs included in this study.…”

Bridging the Disciplinary Divide: Co-Creating Research Ideas in eScience Teams

“…Group creative design requires intentional choreography of the interplay between knowledge and learning (Cook and Brown 1999;Rowland 2004) Use structured design exercises to intentionally approach the problem in multiple ways.…”

Between 2: Tango as interactive design

“…Most importantly, such an approach brings into account an ''evolutionary consciousness", recognizing and embracing the role of the human in shaping and creating our future, in art as in life (Rowland, 2004). In this way, one may argue that all areas of design research could benefit from a physical, socio-cultural focus, acknowledging the reciprocal relationship of the physical world informing the digital, even as new technologies allow us (humans) to be shaped by them.…”