As learners seek to develop expertise they come across increasingly complex knowledge and challenges. Success in these ventures is often evaluated on the immediate thinking or behaviour of the individual (engagement, effort, intelligence etc) but it may be that a lack of success has more to do with a poor foundation of knowledge. The idea that knowledge builds on knowledge is not new but as teachers, I don't think that it would hurt to have a reminder that we all work in the construction industry!
Constructivism is ‘an approach to learning that holds that people actively construct or make their own knowledge and that reality is determined by the experiences of the learner’ (Elliott et al., 2000, p. 256).
The image on the right highlights some of the principles of constructivist learning theory and of particular relevance to this post is the idea that knowledge is constructed over time.
Typically, the theory is separated into three categories: Cognitive constructivism and the work of Jean Piaget, social constructivism and the work of Lev Vygotsky, and radical constructivism - Ernst von Glasersfeld.
Critics of the constructivist view push back against the 'active' element of the theory when used to suggest learners need to engage in self-directed or discovery learning. Mayer (2004) suggests many educators misapply constructivism to use teaching techniques that require learners to be 'behaviorally active' when the focus should be on them being 'cognitively active'.
Someone who believes deeply in the construction of knowledge is Dr. Efrat Furst. Efrat has a background in cognitive-neuroscientific research (human learning and memory), and her expertise bridges the sciences of learning with teaching. Her website has some fascinating articles and her work on Knowledge Pyramids generated the following key takeaways and was the stimulus for this post.
Key Takeaways:
* I fully admit that I like visual models and simplicity and so maybe cognitively biased to Furst's ideas.
Knowledge is organised over time into increasingly complex structures.
The image below describes the process of knowledge organisation where individual elements are linked together to form larger units that share a connection. These units then become larger and larger as more knowledge is processed and assimilated. The challenge for learners is to ensure that these units are constructed consciously, accurately and through review, remain that way.
T&L Considerations:
A lack of current knowledge provides shaky ground for the construction of more knowledge.
The image below highlights the need for foundational knowledge to exist before new knowledge can be successfully added. A lack of knowledge fails to create a stable base and means that the creation of complex knowledge structure is more difficult. Ideally, the knowledge that learners are exposed to is sequentially hierarchical, moving from simple to complex
T&L Considerations
We must activate current knowledge during learning so that new knowledge has a clear target location.
The image below suggests that knowledge will find its own place unless purposefully connected to current knowledge. In order to build complex knowledge structures, learners must activate current knowledge during the learning process so that the correct target is located.
T&L Considerations:
The organisation of knowledge affects our ability to find meaning, transfer learning and recall knowledge in the future.
The image below highlights some of the other issues that can occur during the knowledge construction process. A lack of explicit links between content can lead to disorganised knowledge and negatively affect a learner's ability to find meaning. Quickly acquired knowledge in isolated domains can lead to linear knowledge structures which are unstable and have reduced application. Knowledge that is isolated can be more difficult to recall because of a lack of linking or organisation.
T&L Considerations:
Errors in the construction process can if left unaddressed cause future complications.
Something not in Efrat Hurst's original posts was the possible implication of misconceptions on knowledge construction and application. The image below suggests that the poor teaching or misunderstandings by the learner may have a longer term impact.
Misconceptions can form barriers to new learning, they can amplify errors, leading to more misconceptions and they can also be the root of issues understanding future content.
T&L Considerations
Effective knowledge construction should not be left to chance and the presence of a literature base on how it can be achieved successfully gives us even less of an excuse to get it wrong.
Learning Design
PD providers and teachers can support the knowledge construction process during their planning by:
Learning Delivery
PD providers and teachers can support the knowledge construction process during their delivery by:
Elliott, S.N., Kratochwill, T.R., Littlefield Cook, J. & Travers, J. (2000). Educational psychology: Effective teaching, effective learning (3rd ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill College.
Mayer (2004). "Should There Be a Three-Strikes Rule Against Pure Discovery Learning?" (PDF). American Psychologist. 59 (1): 14–19.
