Warrior Knowledge Network and the Semantic Web:

Building the Self-Aware, Adaptive Leaders of the Future;Transforming the Army into a Learning and Knowledge

Sharing Organization

Rick MorrisDeputy Director, Center for Army Lessons Learned

6 June 2001

Fundamental Conclusion of the Army Training and Leader Development Panel: The Army Must

Become a Learning Organization

Much that we have done and are doing is based on making our existing processes more efficient through technology …

There is nothing to indicate that all of our efforts to improve efficiency have contributed to the effectiveness of the soldier on the battlefield

To become more effective and remain relevant in an ever

changing operational environment

demands that we be capable of adjusting to our environment...

Why do we need a WKN?

Challenge: Leverage technology to increase self-awareness and maintain relevancy

“A learning organization is an organization skilled at creating, acquiring, interpreting, transferring, and retaining knowledge, and at purposefully modifying its behavior to reflect new knowledge and insights.” From David A. Garvin Learning in Action, 11

Learning organizations…the key to maintaining self-awareness

Learning organizations support self-awareness and adaptability through lifelong learning … this requires standards, tools for assessment, feedback and self-development.

Self-awareness allows soldiers to adapt and thus remain relevant.

Building Self-Aware, Adaptive Leaders Through Performance-Oriented Learning

KnowledgeManagement

Training

Army KnowledgeArchitecture

Combined ArmsOperations

Leader Development

Learning

Archi

tect

ure Learning

• The What – Transform the Army into a Learning Organization

• The Assumption- Learning requires training and knowledge management interacting with each other

• The How – Through a total learning architecture that uses knowledge management to link traditional training, leader development, and operational commitments.

Learning and Knowledge Sharing Culture

Warrior Knowledge Challenge

When a soldier needs information, where does he find it?

The problem is ...

The burden is on the soldier to know where to go for what information …

Which is complicated by the fact that each source …… has a different structure… presents information differently… may not be complete… has its own level of detail… has a unique security requirement

• Implement recommendations of the Army Training and Leader Development Panel to…– Transform the Army into a learning organization– Build self-aware, adaptive leaders

• Develop a capability to facilitate the sharing of tacit and explicit knowledge at the tactical level.

• Support the goals of the Army Knowledge Management Strategic Plan to… – Assimilate knowledge management into Army processes to

improve performance– Broaden Army workforce perspective to enable effective

and agile decision making

Purpose of the WKN

Knowledge systems have three basic structural elements

ProductLayer

Information Structure

Focus on our basis concepts of information – how we view it, what if it means to us, and how we use it

Focus on the hardware and software infrastructure that enables knowledge systems

Focus on the user defined products and formats

Information Infrastructure

Focus of Warrior Knowledge Network

The Warrior Knowledge Network is focused on the first two structural elements of a knowledge system …

ProductLayer

Information Structure

Information Infrastructure

How do we identify, organize and structure the diverse information needs of the soldier, leader, team and unit that is sent in harm’s way?How do present information to the user to ensure that we maximize information transfer and understanding?

The information layer is built upon next generation “smart” materials …

ProductLayer

Information Structure

Information Infrastructure

The information structure layer will encompass a broad range of legacy formats that will require advanced search and indexing tools through smart documents that will operate over a semantic network in interaction with agents and new formats for information that will allow discrete pieces of different content types to be dynamically assembled like “legos” to create any type of customized information product.

<general> <title> <langstring>Maritime Navigation</langstring> </title> <catalogentry> <catalog>Sample Course Catalog</catalog> <entry> <langstring>Course 01</langstring> </entry> </catalogentry> <description> <langstring>The purpose of this …</langstring> </description> <keywords> <langstring>maritime navigation</langstring> </keywords></general>

Legacy information products and file formats

Next generation smart documents and

semantic networks

Next generation information objects that can be

dynamically configured

The information layer is built upon next generation “smart” products and knowledge sharing …

ProductLayer

Information Structure

Information Infrastructure

The product layer will provide for a wide range of products that will be created dynamically to support each user’s need. These products will consist of various publications and references that will remain up-to-date and present information in any format that the user wants; various collaboration capabilities; and next generation training and education support for life long learning and adaptive soldier, leader and team development.

Next generation materials that are

configured to the user

Operational capabilities to directly support soldiers

through collaboration and knowledge sharing

Performance support, training and educational

products to support adaptive leaders and lifelong learning

Online Performance

Support, Think Like a Commander

Online Digital Commanders Development Course Online

Electronic Tactical Decision

Game

Online Vignettes and Knowledge Base

• Performance Refresher• Frequently Asked Questions• On-Line Survival Guides• Digital Battle Books• Robust Lessons Learned• Historical Insight• Operational Records• Digital Libraries

• Leader Development System• Reach back• Peer-to-Peer networks• SME to user networks• Virtual Staff• Mentoring programs

Overview

Knowledge systems start with a clearly articulated need...

LeaderDevelopment

Information Structure

Information Infrastructure

NextGen AssesmentTools (360 degree assessment)

Requirements

In order to remain current, the Warrior Knowledge Network will require advanced, next generation assessment tools and enhanced field articulated needs to form the basis for requirements that drive the design of the structural elements…

Field GeneratedNeeds (Just-in-Case and Just-in-

Time)

Team andunit needs

Soldier andleader needs

Components of the Warrior Knowledge Network

KnowledgeBase

MentorSystem

ExpertNetwork

KnowledgeDelivery

DomainRepository

Component 2 - Tacit Knowledge

Next GenInformation

OperationalDomain

PersonnelDomain

LogisticsDomain

TrainingDomain

IntelDomain

OtherDomain

Video Audio Graphic Text Multimedia

Component 1 - Explicit Knowledge

Component 3 - Knowledge Access

TestbedPortal

ExperimentalPortal

NetworkGateway

• The Official Definition: The ways people naturally work together and use technologies to create a virtual environment that brings together electronically groupings of people centered on how they work so they share knowledge. • Mark Rosenberg: “Knowledge management fosters the growth of knowledge communities, learning communities or communities of practice (these terms are used interchangeably). Where needs assessment in the training world often focuses on a precisely defined target population that needs specific training, KM focuses on broader communities that have common interests or goals. Communities can be built around content or disciplines, …. They can also be specific to a project, process or product.”

Communities of Practice...

Techniques to integrate knowledge management

TPIO Warrior Knowledge Network Master Plan process for integration Communities of Interest to integrate complex cultural, technical, and procedural issues Symposia and knowledge sharing conferences Theory/concept focused e-journal Best Practice Bulletins

Knowledge Sharing and Integration Activities

In addition to its basic components, the Warrior Knowledge Network provides a range of integration activities to ensure that activities across various organizations can be leveraged to the advantage of the soldier and to avoid duplication …

“How should we evacuate civilians from this area?”

Semantic networks allow us to plan, adapt, react and execute missions with precision and speed

Lessons Learned dataIn similar situations, the following methods have proven successful … The following methods were not proven effective in dealing with civilian ...

Government dataNational Flood Insurance maps from FEMA indicate that the designated routes will flood with estimated water depths found on the graphic…

Doctrine“The following types of techniques can be used to vacate civilians from a combat area …”

Historical ExampleDuring Hurricane Hugo, Puerto Rican authorities were able to effectively evacuate over 25,000 residents from an area that was flooded with over 12 feet of water ...

Weather dataNational Weather Service forecast for the local area indicates that an additional 7-8 inches of rainfall can be expected through the night and into late tomorrow ...

Organizational data“The 412th Engineer Company has 17 available 5-ton trucks that are not currently mission tasked …”

Equipment data“The 5-ton truck has sufficient clearance to drive through water depths of …”