Title: Craft skills

Authors: Gordon Rugg; Colin Rigby; Gavin Taylor

Addresses: School of Computing and Mathematics, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK ' Keele Management School, Keele University, Keele, Staffordshire ST5 5BG, UK ' Computing and IT, Countesthorpe Leysland Community College, Winchester Road, Countesthorpe, Leicestershire LE8 5PR, UK

Abstract: This paper will argue that craft skills, although well established in practice since antiquity, have received little formal academic attention until fairly recently. They are, however, an important and under-researched area of understanding. This paper locates them within a grounded knowledge modelling framework, which includes a description of how methods such as task analysis and cognitive task analysis can be used to elicit and describe craft skills systematically. We conclude that systematic analysis of craft skills in this manner can be used to improve integration of craft skills within formal education policy and provision, as well as within training. We also identify scope for improving support for managers via systematic use of physical aides-memoires to provide cognitive support, in a manner that is derived from practices within physical craft skills.

Keywords: craft skills; knowledge modelling; tacit knowledge; semi-tacit knowledge; instantiated knowledge; gulf of instantiation; muscle memory; workplace layout; aides-memoires.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIOME.2018.098116

International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education, 2018 Vol.6 No.3/4, pp.290 - 307

Received: 17 Jan 2018
Accepted: 13 Aug 2018
Published online: 04 Mar 2019 *

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