ifkad articles

Cyber DIY: Learner Expectation Patterns in new Knowledge Selection and Validation

Eniko Varga, Zoltán Baracskai

The aim of this paper is to explore and map the role and characteristics of narratives in the learning process for “organic cyber farmers” using the internet as a learning ecology. Though the economy of today gives much more autonomous freedom and possibility for personal projects and activity, it is impossible to experience everything one would need directly. Rather, one must leverage connections and use the tools of information technology to find new knowledge, experience. Our species has, as far as we know, always used narratives, stories and myths to make sense of the world and to organize and transfer information The first-hand experiential stories identified through the knowledge acquisition process were modelled with a Knowledge Based Expert System. Using Case Based Reasoning followed by Reductive Reasoning functionality, the most defining and informative learner expectations can be identified with the help of the KBS algorithms. Patterns can be built using ‘if…then’ rules, which become a model of the reasoning process of the organic cyber farmer when validating relevant knowledge. The presented case study provides an insight to the validation process of the relevant knowledge from narratological aspect by identifying, based on cases gathered, those attributes which make a narrative and knowledge element relevant. Further research by engaging several organic cyber farmers or potentially other DIYers in the study is suggested to test the robustness of the model built with the KBS. The DIY economy means that more and more people are turning back to their local communities, sourcing goods and services locally, which opens-up potential for today’s organic cyber farmers. The presented model highlights those attributes that are the most informative in a narrative and knowledge element accessed over the internet when looking for organic farming practices. Research in ecological economics argue the need of reinforcing transdisciplinary research in organic agriculture, they highlight the interdependency of knowledge in science and society, the co-production of knowledge between the actors of this area of agriculture: science- society and policy. The learning from this initial model can be leveraged in the design and delivery of content by professionals or farmers regarding organic farming practices, thus re-enabling the transdisciplinary co-production of knowledge between science, practitioners and policy makers in organic agriculture.

IN: Proceedings IFKAD 2018 – Societal Impact of Knowledge and Design
PP: 1866-1874