Knowing in Action: 22 Video-analytical Views "in situ" in the Development-department of an IT Firm

This article is a descriptive and explorative analysis of reflective practices and knowing in action.It has been written on the basis of 22 video-analytical views in the development department of an IT company in the field of e-learning and multimedia. Video views are a qualitative method in video analysis and the analytical practice has been described concurrently with the descriptive analyses. Hopefully, this has been done in a way that encourages others to try the method in practice.The analytical observation is directed towards dynamic knowledge processes when knowledge is applied in practice. They are ‘the ones’ which are of analytical interest, and it is difficult to observe them without allowing the live picture to take up the centre of the analytical practice.Therefore, various dynamic knowledge processes are described in 4 stories on the basis of the 22video views. The subjects of the stories are research, when the code of the IT competitors is to be broken, “When the Code Is Broken It Has to be Checked”; processes where a code is created through shared thought processes “Thinking the Code Aloud Together”; processes where a hidden or ‘silent’ code is made apparent, explicit and accessible through shared reasoning, “De-briefing”; and finally the story “When Deadlines Have to Be Met” gives an insight into the D-department’s professional practice when taking stock and ‘running a code’ together. The descriptive and explorative analysis of dynamic knowledge processes demonstrates that the developers work in a complex system where knowledge exists, is created, applied and shared together with learning through sparring, neighbour training, critical reviews, “intelligent methods” and debriefing. The analytical concept ‘Knowledge Zones’ is the starting point for the description, and the contours of the D-department’s different zones are depicted in a drawing and on the basis of the descriptive analysis. It is concluded that the complex system of knowledge and learning unfolds on the basis of knowledge zones which constantly change because they are formed ‘merely’ in the mutual observation of the developers. However, the system or universe of knowledge zones in the U-department is entirely closed; it doesn’t extend ‘outwards’ and does not include ‘the others’ in the company, such as staff in the media and sales departments, not to mention the company’s customers. The eye is turned inwards towards the centre of the department’s innermost knowledge zones and outwards towards top players of the same kind but at an international level.