Fundamental Conclusion of the Army Training and
Leader Development Panel: The Army Must
Become a Learning Organization
Warrior Knowledge Network
and the Semantic Web:
Building the Self-Aware, Adaptive Leaders of the Future;
Transforming the Army into a Learning and Knowledge
Sharing Organization
Rick Morris
Deputy Director, Center for Army Lessons Learned
6 June 2001
Why do we need a WKN?
Much that we have
done and are doing
is based on making
our existing
processes more
efficient through
technology …
To become more
effective and remain
relevant in an ever
changing operational
environment
demands that we be
capable of adjusting
to our environment...
There is nothing
to indicate that all
of our efforts to
improve efficiency
have contributed
to the
effectiveness of
the soldier on the
battlefield
Challenge: Leverage technology to increase
self-awareness and maintain relevancy
Learning organizations…the key to maintaining
self-awareness
“A learning organization is an organization skilled at
creating, acquiring, interpreting, transferring, and retaining
knowledge, and at purposefully modifying its behavior to
reflect new knowledge and insights.” From David A. Garvin
Learning in Action, 11
Self-awareness allows
soldiers to adapt and
thus remain relevant.
Learning organizations support selfawareness and adaptability through lifelong
learning … this requires standards, tools for
assessment, feedback and self-development.
Building Self-Aware, Adaptive Leaders Through
Performance-Oriented Learning
Combined Arms
Operations
Learning
Training
Knowledge
Management
Leader
Development
Army Knowledge
Architecture
• The What – Transform the
Army into a Learning
Organization
• The Assumption- Learning
requires training and
knowledge management
interacting with each other
• The How – Through a total
learning architecture that
uses knowledge
management to link
traditional training, leader
development, and
operational commitments.
Learning and Knowledge
Sharing Culture
Warrior Knowledge Challenge
When a soldier needs information,
where does he find it?
The problem is ...
The burden is on the
soldier to know where to
go for what information …
Which is complicated by the fact that
each source …
… has a different structure
… presents information differently
… may not be complete
… has its own level of detail
… has a unique security requirement
Purpose of the WKN
• Implement recommendations of the Army
Training and Leader Development Panel to…
– Transform the Army into a learning organization
– Build self-aware, adaptive leaders
• Develop a capability to facilitate the sharing
of tacit and explicit knowledge at the tactical
level.
• Support the goals of the Army Knowledge
Management Strategic Plan to…
– Assimilate knowledge management into Army
processes to improve performance
– Broaden Army workforce perspective to enable
effective and agile decision making
Knowledge systems have three basic structural elements
Information Structure
Product
Layer
Information Infrastructure
Focus on our basis concepts
of information – how we view
it, what if it means to us, and
how we use it
Focus on the user defined
products and formats
Focus on the hardware and
software infrastructure that
enables knowledge systems
Focus of Warrior Knowledge Network
The Warrior Knowledge Network is focused on the first
two structural elements of a knowledge system …
How do we identify,
organize and structure the
diverse information needs
of the soldier, leader, team
and unit that is sent in
harm’s way?
How do present
information to the user to
ensure that we maximize
information transfer and
understanding?
Information Structure
Product
Layer
Information Infrastructure
The information layer is built upon next generation “smart”
materials …
Information Structure
Product
Layer
Information Infrastructure
The information structure layer will encompass a broad
range of legacy formats that will require advanced search
and indexing tools through smart documents that will
operate over a semantic network in interaction with agents
and new formats for information that will allow discrete
pieces of different content types to be dynamically
assembled like “legos” to create any type of customized
information product.
<general>
<title>
<langstring>Maritime Navigation</langstring>
</title>
<catalogentry>
<catalog>Sample Course Catalog</catalog>
<entry>
<langstring>Course 01</langstring>
</entry>
</catalogentry>
<description>
<langstring>The purpose of this …</langstring>
</description>
<keywords>
<langstring>maritime navigation</langstring>
</keywords>
</general>
Legacy information
products and file formats
Next generation smart
documents and
semantic networks
Next generation information
objects that can be
dynamically configured
The information layer is built upon next generation “smart”
products and knowledge sharing …
Information Structure
Product
Layer
Information Infrastructure
• Performance Refresher
• Frequently Asked Questions
• On-Line Survival Guides
• Digital Battle Books
• Robust Lessons Learned
• Historical Insight
• Operational Records
• Digital Libraries
Next generation
materials that are
configured to the user
The product layer will provide for a wide range of products
that will be created dynamically to support each user’s
need. These products will consist of various publications
and references that will remain up-to-date and present
information in any format that the user wants; various
collaboration capabilities; and next generation training and
education support for life long learning and adaptive soldier,
leader and team development.
• Leader Development System
• Reach back
• Peer-to-Peer networks
• SME to user networks
• Virtual Staff
• Mentoring programs
Operational capabilities to
directly support soldiers
through collaboration and
knowledge sharing
Online
Performance
Support,
Think Like a
Commander
Online
Vignettes
Online Digital
and
Commanders
Knowledge
Development
Base
Course
Online
Electronic
Tactical
Decision
Game
Performance support,
training and educational
products to support adaptive
leaders and lifelong learning
Overview
Knowledge systems start with a clearly articulated need...
NextGen Assesment
Tools (360 degree assessment)
Team and
unit needs
In order to remain current, the Warrior Knowledge
Network will require advanced, next generation
assessment tools and enhanced field articulated
needs to form the basis for requirements that drive
the design of the structural elements…
Information Structure
Requirements
Soldier and
leader needs
Field Generated
Needs (Just-in-Case and Just-inTime)
Leader
Development
Information Infrastructure
Components of the Warrior Knowledge Network
Other
Domain
Operational
Domain
Next Gen
Information
Video
Personnel
Domain
Audio
Logistics
Domain
Graphic
Training
Domain
Text
Intel
Domain
Multimedia
Component 1 - Explicit Knowledge
Testbed
Portal
Experimental
Portal
Component 3 - Knowledge Access
Network
Gateway
Knowledge
Base
Mentor
System
Domain
Repository
Knowledge
Delivery
Expert
Network
Component 2 - Tacit Knowledge
Communities of Practice...
• The Official Definition: The ways people naturally work
together and use technologies to create a virtual
environment that brings together electronically groupings
of people centered on how they work so they share
knowledge.
• Mark Rosenberg: “Knowledge management fosters the
growth of knowledge communities, learning communities
or communities of practice (these terms are used
interchangeably). Where needs assessment in the training
world often focuses on a precisely defined target
population that needs specific training, KM focuses on
broader communities that have common interests or goals.
Communities can be built around content or disciplines, ….
They can also be specific to a project, process or product.”
Techniques to integrate knowledge management
In addition to its basic components, the Warrior Knowledge Network
provides a range of integration activities to ensure that activities
across various organizations can be leveraged to the advantage of
the soldier and to avoid duplication …
Knowledge Sharing
and Integration Activities
 TPIO Warrior Knowledge Network
 Master Plan process for integration
 Communities of Interest to integrate
complex cultural, technical, and
procedural issues
 Symposia and knowledge sharing
conferences
 Theory/concept focused e-journal
 Best Practice Bulletins
Semantic networks allow us to plan, adapt, react and
execute missions with precision and speed
“How should we evacuate civilians from this area?”
Lessons Learned data
In similar situations, the
following methods have
proven successful … The
following methods were not
proven effective in dealing with
civilian ...
Doctrine
“The following types of
techniques can be used to
vacate civilians from a
combat area …”
“The 412th Engineer Company
has 17 available 5-ton trucks
that are not currently mission
tasked …”
Government data
National Flood Insurance
maps from FEMA indicate
that the designated routes
will flood with estimated
water depths found on the
graphic…
Organizational data
Equipment data
“The 5-ton truck has sufficient
clearance to drive through
water depths of …”
Weather data
Historical Example
National Weather Service forecast
for the local area indicates that an
additional 7-8 inches of rainfall can
be expected through the night and
into late tomorrow ...
During Hurricane Hugo, Puerto
Rican authorities were able to
effectively evacuate over 25,000
residents from an area that was
flooded with over 12 feet of water