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Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems

Article  in  International Journal of Technology Management · January 2003

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2003.003120

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Int. J. Technology Management, Vol. 25, Nos. 6/7, 2003 553

Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems

Konstantin M. Golubev
General Knowledge Machine Research Group, Mailbox 33, Kiev-191,
Ukraine, 03191
Fax: +(380 44) 266 41 24
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://fast.to/gkm

Abstract: This paper includes a description of a project whose goal was the
introduction of Adaptive Learning, based on Electronic Knowledge Publishing.
This can be seen as the next stage in distance learning, providing only
necessary knowledge and also using all available knowledge for online
searches and consulting. Electronic knowledge systems may be used in any
distance learning projects, knowledge management and innovation projects, or
for the development of help desks, online consulting systems and intelligent
websites.

Keywords: Knowledge; management; learning; publishing; consulting.

Reference to this paper should be made as follows: Golubev, K.M. (2003)

‘Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems’, Int. J. Technology
Management, Vol. 25, Nos. 6/7, pp.553-559.

Biographical notes: Konstantin M. Golubev is GKM Research Group

coordinator. He also works as Head IT Expert for the Space Research Institute,
Kiev, Ukraine. He is the author of four published papers on e-knowledge
applications. The General Knowledge Machine Research Group was founded
in 1986 as an informal non-profit institution by mathematicians and IT experts
from Kiev. Now it comprises 11 members, including experts in medicine, arts,
banking and IT. Its aim is research, development and introduction of an
advanced approach to knowledge presentation called Electronic Knowledge
Publishing. It is intended to provide the transformation of individual knowledge
into publicly accessible and usable knowledge.

1 Introduction

1.1 Learning
Exams:
“Prof.: You are looking very worried. Any problem with exams questions?
Stud.: Oh, no! Questions are OK. It is the answers that I worry about.”

Copyright © 2003 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

554 K.M. Golubev

1.2 Traditional learning

Traditional learning is based on a linear process, where students must learn all the
proposed knowledge, topic by topic. Then, students must pass exams to get an
acknowledgement from professors that they have retained this knowledge. The initial
period of learning is very long, usually up to 17 years (school and university). There are
many exams, some of which are very difficult, and have a major influence on the lives of
students. But all this very hard work does not guarantee that students have all or even the
majority of knowledge needed to solve problems which arise in their post-school
activities, in the real world.

1.3 Adaptive learning

Adaptive Learning is based on a concept called Just In Time Knowledge
(JIT-Knowledge). The total amount of external sources of knowledge, even in specific
areas, becomes greater all the time. It is not possible, taking into account the limitations
of the human brain, to acquire it through traditional learning, topic by topic. This means
that in reality a large amount of knowledge is not used by anyone, and many problems
are not solved because the necessary knowledge is not learnt. Electronic Knowledge
Publishing allows to discover and to learn only knowledge relevant to existing problems.

2 Electronic Knowledge Publishing

“We are drowning in information but starved for knowledge.”

John Naisbitt, author of Megatrend

2.1 What is intellectual activity?

As we know, the main tool that humans use to survive is intellect. Without intellect all
other tools are useless and can even do harm instead of good. Let us try to understand
what an individual’s intellectual activity is and how to make it fruitful. All Sherlock
Holmes quotations are from [1].
“He possesses two out of the three qualities necessary for the ideal detective.
He has the power of observation and that of deduction. He is only wanting in
knowledge, and that may come in time.” (Mr Sherlock Holmes), ‘The Sign Of
Four’ p.91.
It is worth mentioning that the Sherlock Holmes stories were written by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle to illustrate the methods of intellectual activity of brilliant experts like Dr. Joseph
Bell of the Edinburgh Infirmary (see [1], preface by Christopher Morley). Sir Arthur
Conan Doyle was a known expert too and we believe that he described intellectual
activity correctly.
Following Mr Sherlock Holmes, we can find the following steps of intellectual
activity:
 Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems 555

1 observation (getting information and data)

2 producing propositions, based on knowledge
3 selection and verification of the most appropriate propositions
4 memorising (converting data to information and creation of new knowledge)

1st step: observation

The first step is always the collection of information and data. Without this all other steps
are senseless. We propose to treat as ‘data’ everything that could be assimilated by
individuals: text, sound, pictures, multimedia etc. A particular component of data, which
is directly connected to the knowledge possessed by an individual, we propose to call
‘information’. It is the part that is really involved in problem solving. For example,
imagine that you are listening to a very interesting lecture and the speaker is using a
language for part of the lecture that you do not understand, though many others do. Then
that part of the lecture in the foreign language is simply ‘data’ for you just like music, but
may be ‘information’ for others. And part of the lecture in a local language may contain
valuable information for you. It is obvious that this part is variable depending on the
experience of the individual– what is valuable for one person, may be useless for other.

2nd step: producing propositions based on knowledge

Acknowledged experts in Artificial Intelligence (AI) Alan Newell and Herbert Simon,
developers of the General Problem Solver, defined memory elements as rules called
‘productions’ of the following type ‘If Situation Then Action’ [2].
Taking into account this definition, we propose to define knowledge elements as
3-part stable memory patterns. Each pattern contains:
1 description of a problem (data, memorised at the time of solving the problem)
2 name of the problem (should be unique text)
3 description of a problem solution, i.e. actions needed for verification and for problem
solving, and expected result.

How to describe a problem and its solution?

People, as a rule, use words to describe their problems. There are so many words, and
their combinations are countless. It may seem impossible to find sense in a such huge
amount of data. But, fortunately, what is really important – are ideas. Plenty of words are
just like clothes that people wear. The same person can wear a different garment and
remain unchanged as a personality. Therefore we believe that description may be
transformed into a set of standard ideas. We propose to define ‘idea text’ as a standard
text unequivocally and directly defining a specific facet of a situation i.e. representing a
stable structure in the right side of the brain responsible for working with images of the
world. We think that intellectual activity is based on ideas as images of the world, but not
on specific words representing them. This idea text should not include any excessive
words and the words included should always have correct sense. For example, people
556 K.M. Golubev

may say: ‘It looks so green to me’; ‘I think it’s a greenish stuff’; ‘It reminds me of fresh
grass’. The idea text should be: ‘The colour is green’. Note that people can express the
same idea with absolutely different words.

How many ideas can there be?

The famous US psychologist, Cattel, in his work Universal Index of Source Traits has
made an attempt to propose a list of items for a description of human personality features.
The preliminary list included 4,550 different items used by many authors. After
excluding synonyms it appeared that only 171 were left. Our experience (medicine, art,
banking, business etc.) has been the same. The number of ideas used for a description of
problems and their solutions in a particular area of knowledge, which may be learnt by
one person, is often no more than several hundred. For example, we have found that
Oriental Acupuncture (medical theory) is based on fewer than 500 ideas. But it is great
knowledge. It seems that this limitation on the number of ideas might be due to the
limitations of the human brain. Take into account that the human brain is a multi-storyed
building and what we see is only the upper floor. However, it seems that there are areas
which are complex by nature (for example, the total list of possible diseases of the World
Health Organization exceeds several tens of thousands of items – absolutely beyond
possibilities of any expert).
We should note that only humans have the ability to define ideas and to exclude
synonyms. It is a highly creative intellectual activity and the people developing
knowledge should be respected in an appropriate way. The results of their activity may
exceed expectations.
An expert produces propositions based on his/her own knowledge:
“As a rule, when I have heard some slight indication of the course of events, I
am able to guide myself by the thousands of other similar cases which occur to
my memory.” (Mr Sherlock Holmes), ‘The Read-Headed League’, p.176

3rd step: selection and verification of the most appropriate propositions

“...you now pretend to deduce this knowledge I could only say what was the
balance of probability. I did not at all expect to be so accurate.” (Mr Sherlock
Holmes), ‘The Sign Of Four’, p.93
“For example, observation shows me that you have been to the Wigmore Street
Post-Office this morning, but deduction lets me know that when there you
dispatched a telegram... The rest is deduction...Why, of course I knew that you
had not written a letter, since I sat opposite to you all morning. I see also in
your open desk that you have a sheet of stamps and a thick bundle of postcards.
What could you go into the post-office for, then, but to send a wire ? Eliminate
all other factors, and the one which remains must be the truth.” (Mr Sherlock
Holmes), ‘The Sign Of Four’, p.91

4th step: memorising (converting data to information and creation of a new

knowledge)
If the problem is solved (proven success or proven failure), then there should appear a
new memory element including the problem’s description, identity and solution. Data
 Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems 557

turns into information and any new problem with a similar description would create a
possible solution proposition based on this knowledge element.

2.2 Definitions
2.2.1 Data
Data is everything that can be assimilated by a human being: text, sound, pictures,
multimedia. We believe that the main task on which Information Technology (IT) is now
oriented is data management. All kinds of hardware and software are well suited for data
capturing and distribution. But who needs this data? If it is collected regardless of people
using it, it is a senseless activity. As a rule, pure data consumers are people who are
trying to find new regularities in unstructured sets of facts – researchers, managers
involved in data mining etc. Ordinary users do not need data as it exists and cannot do
such highly skilled work as data mining.

2.2.2 Information
Information that is portion of data, which is directly connected to the knowledge
possessed by a sentient individual and is really involved in problem solving. It is obvious
that information is variable depending on the experience of the individual person – what
is valuable for one person, may be useless for another.

2.2.3 Explicit knowledge (external)

From our point of view this is constant and the most valuable part of the data source, not
dependent on the individual: this is the element which is learnt.
As mentioned earlier, we propose to define knowledge elements as 3-part stable
memory patterns.
There is first level knowledge (concrete), which was developed during concrete
problems solving, and second level knowledge (abstract), which was developed on the
basis of concrete knowledge – including typical situations and solutions, general rules
etc.

2.2.4 Individual knowledge (tacit)

Types of tacit knowledge include hands-on skills, specialised know-how, intuition and
the like. Michael Polanyi, the first to distinguish tacit from explicit knowledge, stated
‘We can know more than we can tell’.
Obviously, almost any kind of knowledge is initially tacit. All intellectual activity of
a person goes into the sub-conscious, and therefore does not need words. Words appear at
the level of consciousness (co-knowledge), which is many times poorer than sub-
consciousness.

2.2.5 General knowledge

People often think that any question and answer dialogue is based on knowledge and
therefore knowledge frequently loses freshness. From our point of view, valuable
knowledge rarely may be stale, but data information may lose actuality. When you ask
558 K.M. Golubev

the question, it does not mean that you need to use the knowledge of other people. In
many cases you need information to apply your own knowledge. An individual’s
knowledge is a history of his/her own successes and failures; how much should be
discarded and how much will never be used? What part will never be applied?
Knowledge is closely connected with our image of personality – is some of it ignored?
Knowledge, we think, appears always as a result of an important problem solution.
We do not regard as knowledge images that are placed in transitory memory, such as
an object that just happens to be in our line of vision. These images are not permanent
and have no effect on the further activity of an individual. In reality, we treat them as data
or information. So if someone asks: ‘do you know where my last report is?’ and you see
it on your desk and reply: ‘please look at my table’ – this does not represent knowledge
exchange, but information exchange.

2.2.6 Knowledge management

There are many attempts to define it. Part of knowledge management is connected with
the general assets of management theory. If you have assets, you should manage them,
have warehouses for them etc. This results in the development of a super-database,
containing all possible kinds of data sources, with an information super-search and
retrieval engine accessed by a universal type of client software, usually an internet
browser. These tools are intended for knowledge consumers.
The other component is connected with knowledge ecology, virtual team
development, communities of practice, providing knowledge exteriorisation and
possibilities for learning. This facet is suitable for knowledge producers.

3 The problem

Any kind of data will be useless if an individual has very sparse knowledge resources of
his/her own. Therefore people need to learn in order to work effectively. And in many
cases IT can help. For example, you might use distance learning, however, it is a very
time-consuming activity and, therefore, the amount of knowledge learnt is extremely
small compared to all existing knowledge.
There is a great amount of applied knowledge in the world. Before using a man
should learn it. An individual obviously needs to learn this knowledge before he/she can
use it; however, it is impossible to acquire all available knowledge. It seems ironic that at
the same time as we become richer in knowledge, we are unable to use it.

4 Possible solution

We see the following solution. There is a need to develop a device that has the ability to
accept explicit knowledge (external) found in printed sources (books, articles, databases)
as knowledge elements (3-part stable memory patterns, defined earlier) and transform it
into machine-simulated tacit knowledge in the form of intellectual activity support
systems. These e-knowledge systems should be used both for adaptive learning and
distance online consulting.
 Adaptive learning with e-knowledge systems 559

They should assist the individual during the four steps of intellectual activity
mentioned previously.
Access to these systems may be provided by the internet/intranet. Since these
machines have no human restrictions on volume of knowledge, it would be possible to
input all existing knowledge into them, and anyone would be able to use it immediately
for adaptive learning or distance online consulting.
Knowledge presentation developers should convert all explicit knowledge to 3-part
knowledge elements based on ideas, which would represent extremely valuable work.
Eventually large manuals and extensive knowledge bases, built on knowledge exchanges,
would be transformed into short lists of several hundreds ideas.

5 Conclusions

This plan is not a dream. It is a description of a new approach to knowledge presentation

called Electronic Knowledge Publishing developed by the General Knowledge Machine
Research Group since 1986. Detailed information about this approach and existing
products may be found at: http://fast.to/gkm.
We are looking for wider implementation of Electronic Knowledge Publishing and
contributions are welcomed.

Acknowledgements

We appreciate the kind attention and the encouraging attitude of Debra M. Amidon from
the USA, founder of the ENTOVATION Knowledge Network, Professor Ferdinando
Chiaromonte from Italy, President of ISPIM, Professor Takaya Ichimura and Professor
Kazuyoshi Ishii, Chairpersons of ISPIM’99, from Japan.

References
1 Doyle, Sir A.C. (1981) The Penguin Complete Sherlock Holmes, with a preface by
Christopher Morley, Penguin Books.
2 Alty, J.L. and Coombs, M.J. (1984) Expert Systems. Concepts and Examples, The National
Computing Centre Limited.

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