Post on 18-Jan-2023
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PROJECT CURIOSITY: Applications for a better world
Simon Sim
sbksim@yahoo.co.uk
Independent Researcher
Submitted to Aalto University on 25 Oct 2013
via email
Recipients: Atso Andersen (atso.andersen@aalto.fi)
&
Seppo Laukkanen (seppo.laukkanen@aalto.fi)
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PROJECT CURIOSITY: Applications for a better world
Introduction
This project proposal is segmented into three different papers, addressing the concept,
tool and applications to meet the challenge of the question – What do we not know. This
paper expands on the potential applications arising from the concept and development of an
ark of knowledge. The concept is as outlined in the paper, PROJECT CURIOSITY:
Knowledge Evolution – An approach to knowledge exploration and creation.
There are three domains, which are targeted for the development of applications,
namely education, policy formulation and idea incubation. This paper explains the rationale
for the selection of these domains and how their corresponding applications contribute to a
better world. Essentially, we are aiming to achieve a total change of paradigm in our thinking
with these applications.
A better world is one that is open, collaborative (not just cooperative), sharing,
transparent and empowers individuals as well as collectives to achieve a reasonable state of
well-being, not perfection. It is a world that embraces diversity and yet reflects only one
identity in spirit. It is a global village that continually unlearns, learns and re-learns where a
problem for one is a problem for all. To attain a better world, ignorance needs to be
superseded with knowledge and learning.
The world has progressed from Agrarian to Gutenberg, and in the last century, the
Internet Revolution. In each major leap, a single innovation has changed everything in the
world. The observable commonality in each of these innovation was technology, Johannes
Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg with the invention of the printing press, Sir Timothy
John "Tim" Berners-Lee with the invention of the World Wide Web. It is however the non-
technological aspects of the innovations that brought change – the spread of knowledge. The
intent of the applications is to strive towards this desired end state, addressing current
challenges, meeting future ones with a foundation on our past.
Education domain
There are many differences in educational institutions globally, whether pedagogical
or otherwise. There is however one single common factor amidst differences. It is learning –
exploring the domain of knowledge, understanding and application. Learning in educational
institutions occurs through reading, teaching, experimentation (including observation) and a
host of many other activities. Bloom’s taxonomy of learning, a classification of learning
objectives was proposed as early as 1956, updated in 2001 by Anderson and Krathwohl (Iowa
State University, Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, Jan 2012), offers a more
holistic view of learning. The revised version redefines the cognitive domain as the
intersection of the Cognitive Process Dimension and the Knowledge Dimension.
In Iowa State University’s handout (2012), the Knowledge Dimension classifies four
types of knowledge that learners may be expected to acquire or construct – ranging from
concrete to abstract as depicted in figure 1.
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concrete knowledge abstract knowledge
factual conceptual procedural metacognitive
knowledge of
terminology
knowledge of
specific details and
elements
knowledge of
classifications and
categories
knowledge of
principles and
generalizations
knowledge of
theories, models, and
structures
knowledge of
subject-specific skills
and algorithms
knowledge of
subject-specific
techniques and
methods
knowledge of criteria
for determining when
to use appropriate
procedures
strategic knowledge
knowledge about
cognitive tasks,
including appropriate
contextual and
conditional
knowledge
self-knowledge
Figure 1. The Knowledge Dimension – major types and subtypes
In the same handout, the Cognitive Process Dimension is as reflected in figure 2.
Alternative names are bulleted and in italics.
low order thinking skills high order thinking skills
remember understand apply analyze evaluate create
recognizing • identifying
recalling
• retrieving
interpreting
• clarifying
• paraphrasing
• representing
• translating
exemplifying
• illustrating
• instantiating
classifying
• categorizing
• subsuming
summarizing • abstracting
• generalizing inferring
• concluding
• extrapolating
• interpolating
• predicting
comparing
• contrasting
• mapping
• matching
explaining
• constructing
models
executing
• carrying out
implementing
• using
differentiating
• discriminating
• distinguishing
• focusing
• selecting
organizing
• finding
coherence
• integrating
• outlining
• parsing
• structuring
attributing
• deconstructing
checking
• coordinating
• detecting
• monitoring
• testing
critiquing • judging
generating
• hypothesizing
planning
• designing
producing
• constructing
Figure 2. The Cognitive Processes dimension – categories & cognitive processes
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An interactive three dimensional model consisting of both dimensions can be found at
Iowa State University, Centre of Excellence in Learning and Teaching’s website
(http://www.celt.iastate.edu/teaching/RevisedBlooms1.html).
The application designed in PROJECT CURIOSITY for the education domain is to
address both dimensions from concrete to abstract knowledge and from low to high order
thinking. Essentially, we are removing the glass ceiling from classrooms, lecture theatres and
places of learning. Through the graphical representation of concepts and associations,
individuals and collectives can explore knowledge rapidly at their own pace. Slow learners
can be scaled up quickly on their understanding while faster learners can continue on their
journey of discovery, even creating new knowledge, without being confined by scope. All of
which can occur within the same learning place simultaneously (given that each learner has
his or her own workstation to access the application). This is not entirely a new concept as
researchers in Taiwan have experimented with the notion of knowledge exploration with
concept association techniques (Liu and Fan Chiang, Chou, Chen, 2009). The key difference
is scope and flexibility. The scope in our application is only limited to the population of
knowledge through verifiable sources in the ark, with the means for further manipulation. In
addition, all concepts are tagged to a verified source of text, which can be extracted on
demand for reading. Individuals can add more concepts from various disciplines into a single
concept map of a single discipline, where there are available associations. Alternatively, they
can also make their own associations and register that as a new association. Here, tacit
knowledge is created, captured and becomes explicit.
Beyond learning and teaching, the application serves as a useful tool in multi, inter
and cross-disciplinary studies or research. There are two common problems in such studies
and research. The first is the different lingo, terminology and concepts. The second is finding
common associations between the disciplines other than a problem to be solved, for example
global warming. A more typical example would be a team of system analysts developing an
IT system for a hospital. System analysts do not possess domain knowledge on medicine or
hospitals. Thus information elicitation techniques such as focus groups, questionnaires, and a
host of other techniques are deployed to rapidly overcome the knowledge gap. This however
takes time, effort and much disruption to hospital staff, to derive knowledge essential to
developing a system that fits the needs of the hospital. Our application is designed to provide
a common concept map for reference, that associates concepts of one discipline to another (or
more), such that everyone can scale up quickly on understanding, identification of
commonalities and /or tensions between disciplines and assessment of potential new areas of
knowledge exploration.
The application in the education domain will radically change where, what, why,
when and how we learn, educate and create knowledge for the future. In the present, it serves
to provide a common map for overcoming today’s multifaceted challenges. In essence, the
application is an enabler and leveller. If education is a vehicle for social mobility (Iannelli
and Paterson, 2005) then it must be accessible to all, not a few. Robert Haveman and
Timothy Smeeding in their 2006 paper, “The Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility”,
strengthen this point. Education must become relevant and connected. A single discipline or
particular domain of knowledge cannot be the way forward. Neither can science &
technology be the only solution to all global problems, without inclusion of the humanities
and arts. If we are indeed in the Knowledge Era with a knowledge economy, we therefore
need to approach knowledge not from a specialised viewpoint but a generalised perspective,
without sacrificing the finer points of a single discipline. Knowledge is a single entity, with
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many branches of sub entities which are interconnected. That is clearly representative of our
own interconnected world. One possible pathway to knowledge exploration and creation is
through the study of these interconnections.
The education application
The application will consist of a web browser interface from which users can interact
with the ark of knowledge. Users can extract concepts from one or more disciplines as well
as their associations and study the concept map in detail. Users can also access the source
material from which the concept was originated for further reading. With the rapid
advancement of visual graphical interfaces, it may become feasible for users to view the
concept maps in a three dimensional viewpoint.
Users may also view tacit knowledge added on by other users, as well as add their
own tacit knowledge as well as new associations between concepts. Communities of practice
and subject matter experts will verify these new additions accumulated in the ark and respond
accordingly.
Policy formulation domain
“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
– Albert Einstein. While education is the way to the future, we also need to address the ways
of the present because there will be a direct impact. The present is heavily dependent on the
public policies that govern our world today, from Argentina to Zambia. Policy formulation
refers to how policy options are formulated within government (Howlett, 18, 2011). The
process of formulating policy options cannot be bereft of any knowledge. The ark with its
vast knowledge past and present, represent the best knowledge base for policy makers to
explore options and their basis. The opposite of good policy making is an ad hoc or short-
term policy response to an immediate problem. Poor policy making often results from
unintended consequences that a piecemeal approach has not taken into account (Curtain, 36,
2000).
Good public policy is both effective (achieve its goals) and efficient (do so in a way
that achieves the greatest possible benefit at the least possible cost), with a long-term
perspective. It starts with a comprehensive understanding of the current environment and
defining what society’s needs are in a way that an appropriate policy response can address. It
could, for example, involve developing likely ‘futures’ scenarios in which a proposed policy
might need to operate. Good public policy also involves attention to process, including the
giving of end users ample opportunity to participate in a variety of ways. It also involves
ensuring, for example, that the ‘silo’ effect of departments operating independently of each
other is minimised. Good policy also needs to be outcome-focused by identifying carefully
how the policy will deliver desired changes in the real world. Policy makers also need to
ensure that they are inclusive by putting in place policies that take full account of the needs
and experience of all those likely to be affected by them, whether they be individuals or
groups, families, businesses or community organisations (Curtain, 35-36, 2000).
Good policy also requires involving those outside government in policy making. This
includes consulting with those who are the target of the policy, outside experts, and those
who are to implement the policy. Finally, good public policy is based on learning from
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experience. Policy making needs to be a continuous, learning process, not as a series of one-
off, isolated initiatives. This requires making use of evidence and research about the
problems being addressed. It may also involve making more use of pilot schemes to
encourage innovation and to test whether proposed options work. It also requires clearly
specifying and evaluating independently the objectives of all policies and programmes and
making public the lessons of success and failure and acting upon them (Curtain, 36, 2000).
Our application aims to achieve these requirements of making good public policy. In
the aspect of involvement of parties outside of government, we identified two possible
parties, the citizen and iKnow Consortium.
iKnow is one of six Blue Sky foresight research projects funded by the European
Commissions Seventh Framework Programme for Research and Technology Development
(FP7) under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities (SSH) theme. The project is aimed
at interconnecting Knowledge on issues and developments potentially shaking or shaping the
future of science, technology and innovation (STI) in Europe and the world. Overall, iKnow
has two interconnected objectives:
To develop and pilot conceptual and methodological frameworks to identify and
analyse Wild Cards and Weak Signals (WI-WE); and
To assess the implications and impact of selected WI-WE on, science, technology
and innovation (STI) and key dimensions of the European Research Area (ERA).
To do so, iKnow has used Foresight and Horizon Scanning (FHS) approaches to
support the research and technology development (RTD) agenda associated with each
objective. Foresight is a systematic, participatory, prospective and policy-oriented process
which, with the support of environmental and horizon scanning approaches, is aimed to
actively engage key stakeholders into a wide range of activities anticipating, recommending
and transforming (ART) technological, economic, environmental, political, social and ethical
(TEEPSE) futures. Horizon Scanning (HS) is a structured and continuous activity aimed to
monitor, analyse and position (MAP) frontier issues that are relevant for policy, research and
strategic agendas. The types of issues mapped by HS include new/emerging: trends, policies,
practices, stakeholders, services, products, technologies, behaviours, attitudes, surprises
(Wild Cards) and seeds of change (Weak Signals). (iKnow, 2013)
Although iKnow is currently focussed on European and global science, technology
and innovation (STI) policy, it is still useful to connect on the basis that these areas have a
direct impact on public policy. iKnow brings to the policy formulation process foresight. The
ark adds to the process 20/20 hindsight (History) and the necessary foundations. In practice,
we are combining inputs from iKnow, citizenry (or civil society), government and knowledge
to construct a more holistic process. The concept association tool enables connectivity
amongst the inputs. The application hopes to expand on the involvement and inclusion of
minority voices. Public policy affects everyone, and should not be solely a case of majority
wins. While diversity may connote complexity, it also brings with it creativity. An added
unintended benefit is to ensure the transparency of the process.
The European Union is an ideal test bed, given that it is a union of many nationalities
rich in diversity. This presents an opportunity for the application to present a common map
to member states to quickly make sense of differing opinions and views, with knowledge as a
backdrop. A common map is perhaps a better navigational tool for consensus building,
without disregard for the minority, through understanding.
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The policy formulation application
The application will consist of a web browser interface where users can view a
concept map produced from concepts, policy issues and various inputs. The concept map is
constructed from a combination of inputs from iKnow and concept banks from the ark of
knowledge, as well as any other concepts or issues added by users, either government or
citizen. Users can view; manipulate concepts and/or policy issues, as well as their
associations. Users can also access the source material from which the concept was originated
for further reading.
Users may also view tacit knowledge (possibly as a form of feedback, suggestion
and/or insight) added on by other users, as well as add their own tacit knowledge as well as
new associations between concepts. Communities of practice and subject matter experts will
verify these new additions accumulated in the ark and respond accordingly.
Idea incubation domain
In principle, every person has innate talent/s and idea/s. In practice, talent sometimes
remain hidden, as with ideas. The question then is why. On the talent front, there is a
multitude of reasons, ranging from circumstantial to ignorance. The discovery of one’s talent
is however a personal journey, dependent on one’s willingness to explore it further, albeit the
narrow window of opportunities. Our application in the education domain can certainly help
widen this window if individuals are willing to take their first step to explore. Ideas are
however definitely easier to elicit, given an appropriate environment. Perhaps, with ideas, we
may even uncover more hidden talents.
The principles of the Ark Initiative provide a sound basis and foundation for the
creation of a suitable environment, for ideas to be elicited and incubated. Furthermore, the
premise should be that no idea is too small to be accepted as all great things evolve from
small ideas and some even from mistakes. The Post-It pad is a good example of how a
“failure” became a useful product, as it is with the discovery of penicillin. Nikolai Tesla is an
example of how radical ideas, met with opposition, gave us alternating current, as with many
other innovations that make a difference in our world today. Ideas also have a limited
lifespan. It dies with the originator, if not made explicit. The UN estimates that the current
world population is now at 7.2 billion (UN Press Release, 13 June 2013). If we make the
assumption that everyone in this world has at least one idea, wet would have a total of 7.2
billion ideas at a minimum. How many ideas would become explicit and how many would
die with its originator. How many of these ideas that die with its originator, would change our
world for the better? “Every man is born an original, but sadly, most men die copies” –
Abraham Lincoln. On the flipside, some ideas have invariably caused our world more harm
as well. Nobel with the invention of dynamite, the advent of nuclear technology to nuclear
weaponry. However, it must be noted that the original intent of the idea was never a
destructive creation, but unfortunately was applied in that sense. Ignorance is not bliss. “We
do not know until the shell breaks what kind of egg we have been sitting on.” – T.S. Eliot.
The application also serves to connect ideas with knowledge, as well as ideas with
other ideas. An idea incubated by an originator can be connected with various concepts in the
ark, thus allowing the originator to scale up on his understanding on the various domain/s of
knowledge he or she may be lacking in. It also allows the originator to further expand the
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idea by expanding the associations of concepts from other disciplines, previously not
identified by him or her. An idea may also have no current association with any concepts of
explicit knowledge. The idea thus becomes a starting point for knowledge exploration and
creation. When knowledge becomes available, the incubated idea may be ready for
verification and if plausible, actualisation. Similarly, an idea may not be actualised due to
limitations, but may be plausible if connected to other ideas.
Ideas are not just in the present, they are also for the future. Our imagination is the
greatest source of our ideas. One of the key objectives of the application is to capture this in
storage that ideas do not pass on naturally with the originator.
The idea incubation application
The application will consist of a web browser interface where users can insert their
ideas and draw on concepts and their associations from the ark’s concept banks. Users can
view a concept map produced from the association of concepts to their ideas, as well as other
ideas populated by other users. Users can view; manipulate concepts and/or ideas, as well as
their associations. Users can also access the source material from which the concept was
originated for further reading.
Associations between concepts and ideas can be captured into the concept banks of
the ark, enhancing its tacit knowledge. Users can also search for ideas based on keywords.
Users can also connect with one another via the application. Identities of users are kept
private in accordance with privacy laws, espoused by the Republic of Finland.
Conclusion
The three targeted domains have been selected on the premise that when knowledge is
shared transparently as far as possible within them and disseminated equally to all without
discrimination of age, ethnicity and sex, achieves a better world.
The suite of applications is designed to take stock of our past, address the present and
mould the future. There are two primary objectives of the applications – bringing parity to
the world and enhancing trust. The objectives are driven by quickly overcoming ignorance,
promoting open sharing & collaboration, removing hurdles & limitations, empowering
individuals & collectives to dream, and an emphasis on transparency.
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References
Knowledge exploration with concept association techniques
Online Information Review Vol. 34 No.5, 2010 786-205
Chen-Chung Liu and Shih-Hsun Fan Chiang, Chih-Yueh Chou, Sherry Y.Chen
Does Education Promote Social Mobility?
CES Briefings No. 35
June 2005
Cristina Iannelli and Lindsay Paterson
http://www.ces.ed.ac.uk/PDF%20Files/Brief035.pdf
A Model of Learning Objectives based on a Taxonomy for Learning, Teaching, and
Assessing: A Revision of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives
January 2012
Iowa State University
Center for Excellence in Learning and Teaching
http://www.celt.iastate.edu/pdfs-docs/teaching/RevisedBloomsHandout.pdf
Designing Public Policies: Principles and Instruments
Routledge textbooks in policy studies
2011
Michael Howlett
Good Public Policy Making: How Australia Fares
Agenda, Volume 8, Number 1, 2000, pages 33-46
Richard Curtain
http://epress.anu.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/8-1-A-3.pdf
The Role of Higher Education in Social Mobility
The Future of Children, Princeton University and the Brookings Institution
Journal Vol. 16/No. 2/Fall 2006
Robert Haveman and Timothy Smeeding
http://www.princeton.edu/futureofchildren/publications/docs/16_02_07.pdf
World population projected to reach 9.6 billion by 2050 with most growth in
developing regions, especially Africa
13 June 2013
UN PRESS RELEASE
http://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/Documentation/pdf/WPP2012_Press_Release.pdf
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Copyright Notice
All material in this paper is, unless otherwise stated, the property of Simon Sim. Copyright
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