Case StudySPIEL

Robin Burke

CSC 594

4/7/2004

Outline

Problem domain type of knowledge knowledge management problem

Solution cases retrieval opportunism

Problem

Selling is really hard intangible product lots of burnout

Expert mentoring works well expert time too valuable

How to get novices up to speed?

KM Problem

What do novices learn from experts? cases – real-life accounts of problems in the field

How are these cases packaged? “war stories”

Delivery

How to deliver “war stories”? need students to store them in their own case

memories presentation alone (text / documentary film) not

effective not retained / applied problem-solving context not active

Solution

Embed story/case presentation in a simulation environment

Research problem “right story at the right time”

Cases

Stories experts’ experience stored on video

Problem need to label each story cannot extract from video / audio

Index

Human-generated Structured Based on anomaly

contrast between expectation and outcome what makes the story interesting what makes the story pedagogical

Example

“Talked myself out of a sale” Expectation

Salesperson wanted to build customer confidence So he kept the conversation going after the sale

Reality Customer changed his mind

Retrieval

Must take in account student’s needs Pedagogy may require contrast between

situation and story rather than maximal similarity

Example

Simulation Student continues conversation after the sale Nothing bad happens

“Teachable moment” “You got away with it this time, but here is what

happened to me.” Contrast between outcomes makes the story

relevant

Retrieval Strategies Show alternatives

tell a story that shows a risk the student took even if the student doesn’t bear the consequences of that risk

Critique expectations tell a story that shows how others had incorrect

expectations in a similar situation Project results

tell a story that shows a long-term consequence outside of the scope of the simulation

Demonstrate perspectives tell a story that illustrates the perspectives of others in the

simulated world

Retrieval Strategies, cont’d

Teaching environment requires very precise retrieval student won’t scroll through a list of results

Approximate retrieval not sufficient Need to reason about the relationship

between a story and a situation For demonstrate risks, need to infer “opposite

result”

Opportunism

Retrieval occurs without user input a side-effect of student’s use of simulation

Invert normal query/response pattern think of stories seeking chances to be told

Process

Off-line Story + index Strategies For each story / strategy pair

create recognition condition description based on knowledge of sales context

From RCD create recognition rules based on knowledge of simulation

Compress rule set over all stories

Bottom Line

Very specific solution intelligent tutoring interpersonal stories precise opportunistic retrieval

Knowledge / effort intensive indexing of stories acquiring knowledge needed to apply strategies