Proficiency Amplified through Knowledge Sharing and Support for Informal Teaching (PASSIT) Navy SBIR FY2018.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2018.1 Topic No.: N181-076 Topic Title: Proficiency Amplified through Knowledge Sharing and Support for Informal Teaching (PASSIT) Proposal No.: N181-076-0249 Firm: Soar Technology, Inc. 3600 Green Court Suite 600 Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105 Contact: Kelly Neville Phone: (407) 602-6123 Web Site: http://www.soartech.com Abstract: Mentoring, demonstrating, and over-the-shoulder performance checks are some of the ways experienced Sailors pass their knowledge to newer Sailors, thereby furthering their growth. These methods are effective for passing knowledge to a particular Sailor or group, but are less effective for ensuring all Sailors have the knowledge, resources, and training they need when they need them. The effective reach and impact of these on-the-job knowledge sharing methods could be vastly increased by capturing experts�?T knowledge in real time, as it�?Ts being shared, and making it available for mass consumption and benefit. Technologies for achieving this capability exist; the challenges are adapting and integrating those technologies to support high quality, easily captured, and easily consumed knowledge products. To address these challenges, SoarTech proposes the tablet-based Proficiency Amplified through Knowledge Sharing and Support for Informal Teaching (PASSIT) tool for on-the-job, high-quality multi-media expert-knowledge capture. PASSIT will support on-the-job knowledge capture and sharing across a wide range of operations and maintenance work communities. In this Phase I effort, we will design an initial prototype based on the knowledge sharing needs and practices of two work communities, the Sonar Technician Surface (STG) and petroleum processing industries. Benefits: The baby boomer generation has come of retirement age and is rapidly exiting the workforce, taking with it vast amounts of accumulated knowledge and skill. Upon feeling the impact of their lost institutional wisdom, organizations are investing significant resources into trying to preserve their older workers�?T wisdom. Some companies have initiated boomerang programs that bring retirees back on a part time basis; others are using incentives to keep retirement-age workers around longer. This widespread appreciation for the wisdom of retirement-age employees sets the stage for widespread interest in PASSIT. PASSIT will offer a workforce-centric knowledge-capture solution that has been honed over time and in more than one workforce. It will be designed for quickly and easily capturing knowledge over the course of the routine workday. PASSIT will improve the efficiency of on-the-job knowledge sharing. The resulting boost in shared knowledge will help workers become more proficient and gain proficiency much more rapidly. PASSIT will also help industries retain the wisdom of their experts, to the benefit of work efficiency, safety, and quality. Return