Week 6 & 7 Research Activity - Detroit Images

Research activity two: Go here: Detroit images - the originals : http://www.marchandmeffre.com/index.html Reflect on the images (click on the links to navigate the Detroit pictures. What knowledge is represented in these images? What knowledge is lost in these images? What could make them better as knowledge representations?

In textbook p. 255, Sternberg states that there are two kinds of knowledge – declarative knowledge and procedural knowledge. The first one is knowledge that can be stated for example the date of your birth, the name of your best friend, or how a rabbit looks like. Procedural knowledge is that knowledge of procedures that can be implemented for example the steps involved in trying your shoelaces, adding a column of numbers, or driving a car. One important principle regards the distinction between declarative and procedural knowledge is between knowing that and knowing how. (Ryle, Berge & Hezewijk; 1949) 

Declarative knowledge refers to factual knowledge and information that a person knows. The link gave – Detroit images show all the pictures with the textual descriptions of the historical and symbolic buildings or sites in Detroit have suffered and decayed from the current recession. The images give the viewers the opportunities of knowing that the industries had been developed and landmarks had been built in the 20^th centuries in Detroit and some of the sites have been abandoned in this decade. The pictures shown in http://www.marchandmeffre.com/index.html convey the information sent from the photographers that

 “Ruins are the visible symbols and landmarks of our societies and their changes, small pieces of history in suspension. The state of ruin is temporary by nature, the volatile result of the end of an era and the fall of empires. This fragility, the time elapsed but even so running fast, lead us to watch them one very last time: being dismayed, or admiring, wondering, wondering about the permanence of things. Photography appeared to us as a modest way to keep a little bit of this ephemeral state.” (Marchand & Meffre, 2010).

The knowledge missed in those images is procedural knowledge, is knowing how to apply knowledge and perform certain activities. In procedural knowledge, there is an end goal that requires a series of steps to accomplish and execution of those steps driven by internal rules. Like driving a car, the driver implement his/her procedural knowledge of how to start the car, change the gears, and turn the steer wheel …etc to get the vehicle moving.  The viewers (of Ruins of Detroit) may learn from the pictures about the facts that Detroit has been ruined and what the possible causes lead to the facts. However, they don’t acquire the knowledge how to solve the problems or possess the abilities to stop Detroit’s decline.

References:

Berge, T. T. (n.d.). Procedural and Decelarative Knowledge - An Evolutionary Perspective.

Marchand, Y. &. (2010). The Ruins of Detroit - English Edition. Retrieved Oct. 9, 2011, from STEiDL: http://www.steidlville.com/books/1050-The-Ruins-of-Detroit.html