knowledge in knowledge mobilization: exploring competencies, skills, and the assumed Monica Batac | 6 April 2015 | PC 8003

image: wiertz on Flickr

inspiration emerging  ques+ons  as  graduate  student,  educator  and  communicator  

       what is research? how do we do it? why do we do it? what the heck do we do with it? image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

zoom in to zoom out knowledge mobilization & k* competencies & skills-based education k* competencies & skills

sociology of knowledge

image: ebarney on Flickr

knowledge mobilization “…  brings    knowledge,  people,  and  

ac,on  together  to  create  value.”    (Bennet  and  Bennet  2007,  p.  17)  

 •  steeped  in  the  social  sciences  &  humani+es  •  growing  professionaliza+on  of  this  field    What  about  the  other  disciplines?  

   

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four major domains | 1945-2004    

Everett Rogers reigns supreme (innovation diffusion; 1962, 1971, 1983)

author co-citation analysis by Estabrooks et al., 2008

Innovation diffusion (management, agriculture, development)

Technology transfer (commercialization, competition, innovation)  

Knowledge/research utilization (SS/H; policy)

Evidence-based medicine

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fragmenta,on    knowledge | research | innovation | evidence

translation | transfer| exchange | mobilization

implementation | diffusion | dissemination

evidence/research-based | utilization and uptake

Graham, Tetroe, and the KT Theories Research Group, 2007

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k* “‘Knowledge’…  include[s]  both  explicit  (codified,  factual)  informa+on  and    tacit  understandings  of  what  that  informa+on  means  and  how  it  can  be  used.  Knowledge  can  be  about  both  content  and  process,  and  can  be  held  individually  or  communally.”    

“We need a broader concept that includes all the functions but recognizes their differences.”

Shaxson  et  al.,  2012,  p.  2  

competencies & skills “Competence  probably  replaces,  albeit  at  a  more  sophis+cated  level,  the  concept  of  skills.  That  doesn’t  necessarily  make  it  easier  to  understand  what  competencies  are,  let  alone  how  they  are  to  be  recognised”  (Brown  and  Knight,  1994,  p.  27).   “Though  we  may  prefer  to  speak  of  understanding  a  comprehensive  object  or  situa+on  and  of  mastering  a  skill,  we  do  use  the  two  words  nearly  as  synonyms.  Actually,  we  speak  equally  of  grasping  a  subject  or  an  art”  (Polanyi,  1969,  p.  126).    knowledge,  competencies,  skills  (Winterton,  Delamare-­‐Le  Deist,  &  Stringfellow,  2006)  

image: Pedro Vásquez Colmenares on Flickr

sociology of knowledge  

par+cipatory  research  and  cri+cal  pedagogy  (Paulo  Freire,  Budd  Hall,  Henry  Giroux)    Mikhail  Bakh+n’s  heterglossia    Gerald  Delanty  “Challenging  Knowledge”  “Social  Science:  Beyond  Construc+vism  and  Realism”    Michael  Polanyi’s  take  on  personal  &  tacit  knowledge    Peter  Berger  &  Thomas  Luckmann?  Stuart  Hall?  Antonio  Gramsci?         image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

(shifting) research questions 1. What types of opinions exist regarding priority

competencies and skills for KMb? 2. What positions do knowledge user groups take

regarding priority KMb activities? 3. What connections can be made between competencies

and skills identified by users from a specific discipline, field, profession, or role?

4.  In what ways do the prioritized competencies and skills illustrate tensions/issues regarding knowledge?

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q-method[ology] Concourse

One-on-one interviews & group interviews/focus groups Q-statements

skills? Q-sort

electronic sort using FlashQ

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Reproduced from Shinebourne, 2009, p. 95

data collection

Concourse development Interviews and focus groups experts using snowball sampling

Q-sort

Electronic recruitment blogs, websites, social media

In-person recruitment UK KMb Forum; Edinburgh, Scotland (April 13/14)

Canadian KMb Forum; Montreal, Quebec (May 14/15)

preliminary data One interview so far

Emphasis on context Dedicated roles and responsibilities for KMb Perspectives versus practices

image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

context “I work in a unit where the KTA cycle is its mantra” “It’s important to be flexible within a cycle or framework.” Context specific, project-specific

image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

dedicated roles “I had a dedicated role doing knowledge mobilization work - both research and implementation.” distinction between perspectives and practices “Clinicians and practitioners want to be engaged in it, know that it’s important, and do their best to keep current with research within their field, and perhaps are able to transfer that knowledge to their own end-users. But often, that’s a big struggle.”

image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

her own role [within a team] competencies: people skills | research skills; vague “working off people’s strengths” “A host of competencies”: research, communication, networking

again, emphasis on context

image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

her learning KMb focus for her doctoral work; her colleagues took a KT practitioner course “It’s not only who does it, but how do they do it?... Everyone would say it’s important, but how it plays out in practice is blurry.” “Theoretical knowledge drives how you see the practice [of KMb] … It’s not so easy to tease out one from the other.”

image: tesschamakkala on Flickr

where does that leave me?

image: Tall Chris, Flickr

possible conclusions and redirections 1. Experts will highlight diversity and differences in priority

skills, competencies and activities 2.  Inclusion of knowledge, competencies, skills 3. Context and ‘knowledge’ as driving forces

Q-statements to return to viewpoints on skills/competencies/knowledge

Translating research into plain language

It is important to communicate in ways that are applicable and effective to

targeted end-users

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questions, comments, or feedback?

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