Unknown unknowns: knowledge elicitation for multimedia in craft learning

Craft skills were originally taught through apprenticeship, a time consuming process both for teacher and learner in a situation which discouraged innovation and development. New technologies offer the opportunity for learners to draw upon the skills of experienced craft practitioners whilst still directing their own learning at a pace and style that suits their craft practice.

In my previous research (Wood 2003) I considered the design of multimedia to support learning of tacit knowledge; working with experienced practitioners who have some experience of teaching and have adopted strategies to overcome the problems. Skilled craftspeople are often not skilled teachers and my current research concentrates on eliciting knowledge from such people, who are unfamiliar with expressing what they know, and testing the veracity of the findings with learners.