learning and knowledge sharing in the
workplace:
differences and similarities between
experts and novices
Anoush Margaryan
Lecturer in Learning Technology, Shell Research Fellow
Caledonian Academy, Glasgow Caledonian University ,UK
This presentation is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported Licence

What is being learned?
How is it learned?
What is the role of the collective in
learning?

Context: Global knowledge sharing networks
Period: Sept 08-Apr 09
Method: Questionnaire & interviews
Survey: n=462 (E46%; N27% )
Interviews: n=29 (E41%, N31%, 28%M)

What is being learned in the workplace?
Awareness and Understanding Role Performance
Understanding background of projects (NNNM) Delegation skills (M)
Workplace politics (NM) People management skills (N)
Stakeholder engagement (EM) Time management and prioritising (N)
Contextualising knowledge (MMEE) Project management (EEM)
Personal Development Teamwork
Assertiveness (M) Collaboration skills (EEEMN)
Learning about oneself (E) Virtual team working (N)
Self-confidence (EE)
Stress management (M)
Task Performance
Lab skills (N)
Core knowledge Using company-specific technology (NNE)
Technical knowledge related to core tasks
(NNNMMEE) Enculturation in the company
Using knowledge resources: developing personal Developing visibility in the company (M)
networks (M), knowing who to ask (N) Understanding the big picture (N)
Working in the organisation (NNNME)

How is it learned?
Type No E N M
Formal learning 25/29 67% 100% 88%
“By doing” 20/29 50% 100% 63%
Discussions with 9/29 17% 44% 38%
others
Coaching &mentoring 7/29 8% 44% 25%
By teaching others 6/29 17% 33% 13%
By observing others 6/29 17% 45% 0%
By trial and error 5/29 8% 22% 25%
Self-study 4/29 0% 33% 13%

Significant others in the workplace
• Line Manager (16/29)
• Colleagues in the organisation (15/29)
• Mentor (10/29)
• Colleagues in the team (9/29)
• Coach (6/29)
• Senior managers (3/29)
• ‘Externals’ (supplier, professor) (2/29)

The role of the collective (1)
“The networking through the course is very
important because you meet other economists
so immediately you have a list of names and if
you have a question on general economics you
have a list of 20 or 30 people instantly that you
can approach. So if I had a question I have a
large list of Economists whom I can email and
say, ‘Okay guys or girls, this is what I am
struggling with, do you have an answer to this?’
so that was really helpful.”

The role of the collective (2)
“For me still the biggest way to learn is
to sit alongside people who know what
they are doing or can help you do what
you do a bit better and get on and do
it.”

The role of the collective (3)
“Once you have progressed from grounding types of
learning, you know your basics. Then I think learning
shifts into more peer interactions. So I for example
called another Economist on another project and that
person works in Houston and I basically just asked him
‘what kinds of things are you doing right now and are
there any best practices in your project that we might
use as well?’. So you go much more to your peers and
try to extract knowledge from other people, actively
looking for other people who you think have a certain
amount of knowledge.”

The role of the collective (4)
“You only know that you mastered something
when you are actually explaining it to others. By
sharing knowledge you often get questions
which can help you see other issues or open new
thoughts and it is a way of getting to reflect with
somebody else on something which you do on a
daily basis and to give it another perspective.”

Next steps
• Developing recommendations on the use of
the collective for learning
• Using the empirical data to develop and test
scenarios of charting
• Developing prototype charting tools