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The Leadership Pathway - 3) Adaptive Expertise Moderators: Mark Jump to page : 1 Now viewing page 1 [50 messages per page]	View previous thread :: View next thread
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Mark

Posted 13/11/2006 14:09 (#601)
Subject: The Leadership Pathway - 3) Adaptive Expertise

Location: North Wales

The concept of adaptive expertise is concerned with the idea that people who have had extensive, purposeful and varied experiences of doing something (which includes intellectual, physical, emotional and social undertakings) are capable of responding to novel unstructured situations skillfully and successfully. Such flexible performance is one of the characteristics that distinguish an expert from a novice (Schwartz, Bransford, and Sears (2005). More over it is what sets apart different types of expert (Hatano and Inagaki 1986). This notion could have important implications for outdoor leadership practitioners who are acting within the endlessly varying, dynamic conditions that can occur in wilderness settings.

Mark

Posted 13/11/2006 14:54 (#605 - in reply to #601)
Subject: RE: The Leadership Pathway - Adaptive Expertise

Location: North Wales

Adaptive expertise, as it has been elaborated in the literatures on expertise, problem-solving and learning, is a broad construct that encompasses a range cognitive, motivational, and identity or personality-related components, as well as habits of mind and dispositions (Hatano and Oura, 2003; Schwartz, et. al (2005). Its empirical validity has been examined in a number of training and learning contexts. In this thread, I will review the construct of adaptive expertise and the associated literature that documents the various benefits this conceptual approach has been shown to confer, including innovativeness, flexibility in problem solving, and learning through problem solving (Hatano and Inagaki, 1986; Holyoak,1991).

Expertise can be thought of as a continuum of adaptive ability making the distinction between those characterised as ‘merely skilled versus ‘highly competent’, as ‘artisans’ versus ‘virtuosos’ (Miller, 1978) or as those approaching a problem in a routine versus more flexible way (Schwartz, et al. (2005). The notion of adaptive expertise highlights that a new problem can be viewed as a point of departure for exploration (Miller, 1978), and not just an opportunity to do a task more efficiently (Bransford et al. 2000). Adaptability enabled the Apollo 13 crew to successfully build an air filter from ill-fitting parts whilst in space, while the T.V. chef, Jamie Oliver, is able to flamboyantly and creatively produce good food using only simple ingredients.

A distinguishing characteristic of adaptive expertise is the ability to apply knowledge effectively to novel problems or atypical cases in a domain without glossing over distinctive features or factors. Adaptiveness allows experts to recognise when rules and principles that generally govern their performance do not apply to problems or situations (Gott, Hall, Pokorny, Dibble, and Glaser (1992).

Moreover, studies have shown that this flexibility can result in better performance than that of experts who do not display cognitive flexibility, resulting in more accurate medical diagnosis (Feltovich et al., 1997), better technical trouble shooting (Gott, et al., 1992), and workplace error avoidance (Woods, Johannesen, Cook, and Sarter, 1994). Holyoak (1991) characterised adaptive experts as capable of drawing on their knowledge to invent new procedures for solving unique or novel problems, rather than simply applying already-mastered procedures. This flexible, innovative application of knowledge in unique cases in large part underlies adaptive experts’ greater tendency to enrich and refine their knowledge structures on the basis of continuing experience–to learn from problem-solving episodes (Bransford, et al., 2000; Feltovich et al., 1997; Gott et al., 1992; Hatano and Oura, 2003).

Elaborating on the concept discussed by Hatano and Inagaki (1986) and Wineburg (1998), Bransford and Brophy (2003) put forward a conceptual framework for defining adaptive expertise. Such a definition includes applying what we know from previous experiences and knowledge in some area to a new problem can be more or less successful depending on how we view the current problem. While some will try to apply a formulaic solution, others will stand back from the problem and consider how they might need to adapt previous methods for solving the new problem and not simply follow a prescribed set of steps, or recipe, that has been previously learned (e.g. Sushi experts: Hatano and Inagaki, 1986).

Schwartz et al., (2005) have graphically illustrated how developing adaptive expertise emerges through what they refer to as an “Optimal Adaptability Corridor” (OAC). While expertise involves fluency with routines, which they label ‘Routine Expert’, it becomes increasingly important in dynamic and variable situations (such as expeditions) that more than routine solutions are required. When innovative thinking is part of a problem solution, this leads to becoming an ‘Adaptive Expert’. Routine expertise can be envisioned as efficiency gained through routine practice and is domain specific. Adaptive expertise takes this kind of efficiency along with flexibility and innovation to address real-time problems. Having this capacity provides the context and focus for the learning environment and affords opportunities to move an individual’s development along that corridor towards realising their optimal adaptability.

Attachments
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Optimal Adaptive Corridor.ppt (36KB - 407 downloads)

Mark

Posted 13/11/2006 16:10 (#606 - in reply to #601)
Subject: RE: The Leadership Pathway - Adaptive Expertise

Location: North Wales

According to Warren Bennis, one of the foremost authorities on leadership and change, adaptability is the critical quality of a leader that determines how that leader will fare in any given situation, as it enables them to respond quickly and intelligently to demanding changes. It is the ability to identify and seize opportunities. It allows leaders to act and then reflect upon results instead of attempting to collect and analyse all the facts before acting (Bennis, 2003).

Thus assuming that people already have a degree of adaptability, crucible experiences will reinforce flexibility because the experience forces people to break out of a particular perspective or way of doing something (Bennis and Nanus, 2003).

Individuals who are able to think and act flexibly might be referred to as ‘adaptive practitioners’ (Crawford, Schlager, Riel, Toyama, Vahey and Stanford, 2005). Experts may demonstrate a variable breadth of expertise, such as a climber with a relatively narrow focus compared to an expert expedition practitioner, who might climb mountains but also needs other core competencies to be effective. In both cases they might only be described as adaptive practitioners if they demonstrate a flexible capability to deal with novel unstructured situations.

Mark

Posted 18/1/2008 08:15 (#893 - in reply to #601)
Subject: RE: The Leadership Pathway - 3) Adaptive Expertise

Location: North Wales

A published paper that relates Adaptive Expertise to leadership in the outdoors

Recognising and Developing Adaptive Expertise Within Outdoor and Expedition Leaders[/ulr]

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