For tasks with a high cognitive component, (i.e., decision-making, problem-solving, or judgments), a traditional task analysis may fail to identify those cognitive skills required to perform a given task or job. A cognitive task analysis is performed to identify and describe the cognitive components of a task. There are a variety of methodologies available to help the instructional designer represent and define the various knowledge structures needed to perform a task or job. These techniques can also be used to define expert systems and the “expert” in Intelligent Tutoring Systems.
1. Declarative knowledge tells us why things work the way they do, or that the object or thing has a particular name or location. It includes information about the concepts and elements in the domain and the relationships between them. This level's knowledge includes facts, principles, rules of science, and concepts. “Knowing the rules of good database design” is one example. Another is “knowing the names, location, and prices of all the SKUs in inventory.”
Methods for eliciting declarative knowledge:
2. Procedural knowledge tells us how to perform a given task. Procedural knowledge contains the discrete steps or actions to be taken and the available alternatives to perform a given task. With practice, procedural knowledge can become an automatic process, thus allowing us to perform a task without conscious awareness. This automatically also allows us to perform more than one complex task at a given time. A couple of examples would be “creates a v-ditch using a motored grader” or “types a letter at 95 words per minute.”
Methods for eliciting procedural knowledge:
3. Strategic knowledge is comprised of information that is the basis of problem-solving, such as action plans to meet specific goals; knowledge of the context in which procedures should be implemented; actions to be taken if a proposed solution fails; and how to respond if the necessary information is absent. An example of this would be a production plant manager who formulates a plan to meet the needs of a greatly increased forecast.
Methods for eliciting strategic knowledge:
Also, see Cognitive Task Analysis.