Domain Knowledge

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Domain Knowledge

• And
• Problem Solving
• Dallas Thomas
• Psy 605 Fall 2006

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Domain Knowledge

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2 Types of Domain Knowledge

• Domain General
• Domain Specific

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Domain General Specific Knowledge

• General and specific can be relative terms,
  with knowledge existing on a continuum instead of
  in dichotomous categories.

More Specific
More General
Be prepared
Rehearse list of terms
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Domain General Knowledge

• Can be declarative, procedural, or conditional
• Broad, not linked to specific areas or domains

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Domain Specific Knowledge

• Knowledge individuals have about a specific field
  of study, or domain.
• These domains can be subject areas (trig,
  chemistry) areas of activity (car mechanics,
  forklift operations, gardening) etc.
• Declarative, Procedural, Conditional

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Domain Knowledge and Developing Strategies
Strategies are developed from domain general OR
domain specific knowledge.
Domain Knowledge
General
Specific
Declarative
Procedural
Conditional

• Strategies

Strategies are a form of procedural knowledge
More Specific More General
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A closer look at Strategies

• Researchers havent reached a consensus on a
  definition of strategies.
• But we have some ideas about what they are or can
  be
• Strategies allow the learner to take inert
  knowledge (declarative) and apply it (making it
  procedural). Therefore, strategies ARE
  procedural.
• Strategies CAN BE general.
• Strategies CAN BE specific.
• Strategies CAN BE Metacognitive (which have
  executive control of other strategies).

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Domain General Strategies and Problem Solving

• Domain General Strategies may be applied to a
  variety of domains.
• These domain general strategies, such as reading
  through information/directions and following
  steps carefully can be applied to a range of
  tasks cooking, putting together a desk, or
  programming your TiVo.
• Some Domain-General strategies, such as
  Managerial and executive strategies, or
  metacognitive strategies, control other
  strategies and monitor progress.
• Self monitoring strategies generalize across
  domains. You might monitor your progress while
  performing any range of activities such as
  cooking, or putting together a desk.

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An Example of Using Domain General Strategies in
Problem Solving

• A student is attempting to solve an algebra
  problem. She
• Converts the word problem into symbols
• Categorizes it according to solutions (what kind
  of problem is this, and how is it to be solved?)
• Monitors her progress by checking her answers and
  verifying them
• (Alexander Judy, 1988, 376)

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What about other strategies?

• While those domain general strategies may be
  applied across different mathematical domains,
  there are some strategies she may employ that are
  domain specific and useful for solving these
  types of problems in particular.

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Using Domain Specific Strategies in Problem
Solving

• Lets say that the answer the student produced
  for the algebra problem was incorrect. Now, she
• Regroups variables
• Simplifies the equation
• Tries a different algorithm
• The above strategies are unique to the specific
  domain of algebra.
• She must have a knowledge of the domain of
  algebra to employ these strategies because

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Domain Specific Knowledge is Necessary for
Creating Domain Specific Strategies

• Domain specific strategies arise from
  proceduralization of domain specific declarative
  knowledge.
• We may have been taught the different steps
  involved in operating an automatic vehicle, but
  when we proceduralize this declarative knowledge
  by going through the motions of operating an
  automatic vehicle, we are creating a
  domain-specific strategy for operating an
  automatic vehicle.
• We may have a declarative knowledge about
  reinforcement, but if we apply a behavioral
  program to a subject, we are creating a
  procedural understanding and refining domain
  specific strategies for creating/applying our
  behavioral program.

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Domain Specific Knowledge is Necessary for
Creating Domain Specific Strategies

• (without this domain-specific declarative
  knowledge, there is nothing to proceduralize and
  thus, no strategy!)
• If you are presented with some buttons, pedals, a
  handle, a small knob and a wheel,
• and you have no declarative knowledge about the
  mechanics of this particular machine,
• you cant take declarative knowledge about what
  each component does and apply it (proceduralizing
  it), and
• you cant form a strategy for operating this
  machine.

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Domain Specific Knowledge is Necessary for
Creating Domain Specific Strategies

• Now lets suppose you are taught that
• the pedals are go and stop,
• the wheel will turn the machine left and right,
• the handle will put it in different gears that
  allow the machine to either move or not move, or
  move in forward or reverse, and
• the knob just lets you listen to your favorite
  program.
• In this case youve been given domain specific
  declarative knowledge that you can apply
  (proceduralize), understanding what each of the
  operations will accomplish, and you can form
  strategies on how to drive (and listen to the
  radio).

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Is domain Specific Knowledge always helpful?

• We just outlined why Domain Specific Knowledge is
  necessary for problem solving.
• HOWEVER, Domain specific knowledge may also
  interfere with problem solving.

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Domain Specific Knowledge Interference in
Problem Solving

• Inaccurate/Incomplete Domain Knowledge may
  interfere with learning.
• Learners may reject correct information that is
  incongruent with incorrect information that is a
  part of their Domain knowledge.

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Domain Specific Knowledge Interference in
Problem Solving

• This was illustrated by Alvermann, Smith, and
  Readence (1987)
• 6th graders were asked to recall information they
  possessed about a science topic before reading a
  related passage.
• Recalling domain specific declarative knowledge
  interfered with understanding the new domain
  specific declarative knowledge presented.

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Domain Specific Knowledge Interference in
Problem Solving

• The interference of Domain Specific Knowledge on
  learning is not limited to declarative knowledge
• Domain Specific Procedural Knowledge may also
  interfere with learning.

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Domain Specific Knowledge Interference in
Problem Solving

• Domain specific procedural knowledge may
  interfere with problem solving if
• A strategy is used incorrectly or in the wrong
  domain (the generalization of a domain specific
  strategy).
• Example generalizing the domain-specific
  procedural knowledge (strategies) one has of
  operating a forklift to operating a bulldozer.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• Despite the fact that Domain Specific knowledge
  may interfere with problem solving, it is
  absolutely necessary, as discussed.
  However
• Sometimes we have a low amount of domain specific
  knowledge, and we may make up for it by
  attempting to use domain general knowledge.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• a lack of domain specific knowledge (and
  therefore a lack of domain-specific strategies)
  results in an increase in using domain general
  strategies to compensate (English, 1992)

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• In the problem we addressed earlier
• If you are presented with some buttons, pedals, a
  handle, a small knob and a wheel,
• and you have no declarative knowledge about the
  mechanics of this particular machine,
• you cant take declarative knowledge about what
  each component does and apply it (proceduralize
  it), and
• you cant form a strategy for operating this
  machine.
• You may, however, in the absence of domain
  specific knowledge, resort to a domain general
  strategy.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• You may resort to a domain general strategy that
  you have developed that does not require domain
  specific knowledge to work.
• You may try the different controls on the machine
  and learn the different outcomes in a trial and
  error method, for example, which is domain
  general.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• The mathematical concept of combinatorics was
  used to observe this interaction and childrens
  problem solving strategies.
• Children were asked to dress up toy bears in
  combinations of articles of clothing.
• The way they created these cross products
  indicated
• their problem solving strategies, and
• Shifts in Domain General and Domain Specific
  Knowledge at particular times.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• With a lack of domain knowledge, children
  resorted to non-planning domain general
  strategies like trial and error.
• They made up for this by employing another domain
  general strategy, monitoring, as they attempted
  to solve the problem.

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Domain Specific Domain General Interactions and
Problem Solving

• Some children began to move away from
  non-planning strategies toward systematic
  solving, indicating a better understanding of the
  problem domain.
• (Odometer Principle)
• Through problem solving, the children added new
  information to their Domain Specific Knowledge
  base.
• This knowledge was proceduralized and the
  strategies used in further problem solving.

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Overview

• Our domain knowledge, general or specific, is
  composed of declarative, procedural and
  conditional knowledge.
• When declarative knowledge is proceduralized we
  have the opportunity to create strategies,
  general or specific, which we use to solve
  problems that are general or specific in domain.
  
• Solving problems expands our domain general
  and/or domain specific knowledge, which in turn,
  increases the number of available strategies we
  have for further problem solving.

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Mapping it out
Strategies
Problem Solving