ABSTRACT
The aim of this chapter is to clarify what is meant by ‘different forms of knowledge’ and to discuss the kinds of situativity that different forms display. The chapter forms the background for the presentation of different approaches to transfer in the following chapter. Together, these two chapters provide an analytical framework for the characterisation of knowledge transformations across contexts. The selection of knowledge forms is guided by this book’s focus on understanding and educationally designing for adults’ knowledge transfer.
The chapter is structured into four parts: first, there is a discussion of the different criteria for distinguishing between knowledge forms. Realisation format is pointed to as the most appropriate criterion. Second, five analytically different knowledge forms are identified: Propositional knowledge, Procedurally realised routines, Practical knowledge, Experiential knowledge and Episodic knowledge. Third, the knowledge forms are analysed in terms of the kind and degree of situativity they display. The chapter concludes with reflections on the relationships between knowledge forms and ways of learning.
