Making knowledge project,The aim of this short project is to illuminate and reflect upon the kind of tacit knowledge at play in craft making. What kind of ‘making’ activities do you participate it on a regular basis? Or what kind of craft have you done (p

The aim of this short project is to illuminate and reflect upon the kind of tacit knowledge at play in craft making. What kind of ‘making’ activities do you participate it on a regular basis? Or what kind of craft have you done (perhaps not for a long time) that you learned by ‘doing’ or in a manner which you have forgotten? For instance, when I was a child I used to cut out snowflakes from paper. The more complex patterns that I made were manifested through a trial and error process rather than by accessing a list of instructions that told me what to do. It would be very difficult for me to explain in words how to make these paper snowflakes even though I find them very easy to make.

 

In this exercise I want you to write out a list of instructions of something similar that you do or have done in the past. It might be something that you cook, a craft that you engage in now, or something you have done in the past.

 

After you have written the list, answer the following questions.

 

How did you learn how to do this activity? Do you remember learning it? What do you remember about learning it?
Is it difficult to explain in words how to learn the activity? Why is this the case?
How easy would it be for someone to learn from your instructions? What would be an easier way to learn this activity or craft?
List any further reflections you made in regards to tacit or explicit learning in the process of writing these instruct