Great post about SMEs vs. “expert practioners”. I like what Dave says in this paragraph in particular.
A subject-matter expert can trace the theoretical route of some process (along with its uncles, grandparents, and third cousins twice removed). An expert practitioner can tell you from direct experience how that process operates in the real world of work, why she makes the decisions she does, and what happens as a result.
I like how he differentiates the two. Go read the rest of his post too.
Art of Learning 