Distributed and relative nature of professional expertise

This exploratory study investigates the distributed nature and complexity of professional expertise by examining the patterns of cognitive processes in novices and experts who are using ultrasound technology to make diagnoses. The study aims to identify and provide an explanation for such patterns in light of the recent debate on the locus of control underpinning human cognition. A distributed model of professional expertise based on the relationships between the four elements of socio-cultural disposition, tools and artefacts, strategies, and domain knowledge, is used to discuss the results. The findings illustrate the complexity of professional expertise, particularly when individuals depend on sophisticated tools to assist their thinking and reasoning. Introduction This is a study of the cognitive processes used by novice and expert professionals in carrying out a workplace activity, namely how professional experts (veterinarians) draw upon their professional knowledge and skills when making diagnoses using ultrasound images. Such an investigation initially requires a definition of professional expertise and a consideration of the appropriate explanation of how learning occurs in such a context. First, a definition of professional expertise: professional expertise develops within a given domain of knowledge only as a result of contextualized training and practice (Ericsson & Smith, 1991). It can be defined as the ability to combine domain knowledge with appropriate professional tools and strategies to solve problems within the socio-cultural context of the profession. With increasing expertise, the individual is able to bring sufficient knowledge and experience to deal with more complex and novel situations. Thus, when presented with an uncommon set of symptoms, an expert is more effective in drawing upon the complex set of factors noted above and diagnoses successfully, while a novice would struggle. However, it should be noted that the notion of expertise is very domain specific and this is readily demonstrated once an expert is taken out of their specific domain, even within the broader field of their profession. It is also relative, in the sense that a novice may be a recently graduated university student with expertise in domain knowledge. Such a student is different from those who do not have any knowledge of the domain area but also may be classified as novices. Thus, it is important to recognize the progressive developmental aspect in what constitutes expertise; at any one point in time an individual can be at a different level on the expertise continuum. Second, a consideration of context-based …