Chapter 2 Summary How the Way Students Organize Knowledge Affects Learning

This chapter opens with two examples that showcase how the way learners organize information in their brain directly correlates to the learning and knowledge retrieval process (Ambrose, Bridges, DiPietro, Lovett, & Norman, 2010).  The way we organize information not only impacts the learning process, but also how we perform, or apply the knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010).  For example, let’s take a look at history class.  A student simply memorizing a series of dates and events allows them to regurgitate the correct answers on a test.  However, another student might make complex connections enabling them to write an essay about a particular time period.  Ambrose et al refer to the first student’s knowledge as sparse and superficial (Ambrose et al., 2010).  But the other student has a series of deep and meaningful knowledge around the subject due to the way they made connections during the learning process (Ambrose et al., 2010).   

Research and Implications

 So, how does this work?  Let’s take a look at what research tells us about how people form connections and then explore the differences between experts and novices.  People naturally form associations in a few ways:  between concepts that share meaning, cause and effect relationships, and between similar objects (Ambrose et al., 2010).  Of course, everybody is different and will form these connections based on their prior knowledge and experiences, as indicated in the previous chapter (Ambrose et al., 2010).  The way we learn, coupled with the unique backgrounds of each learner, has a direct correlation with how we perform, or apply the knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

An example of this from my work experience is learning new systems and processes.  I am a Training Consultant, so I learn new material by chunking it and relating it to how I think the sales teams will learn and apply the material.  My end goal is to transfer that learning to the sales teams.  A sales professional will learn using connections from their sales experience and have their sales goals in mind.  Depending on how we are expected to apply the material, the sales professional will perform better in a sales situation and I would perform best in a training type situation.  As an educator, it is important to keep the end result, or objectives, in mind (Ambrose et al., 2010).  What task do we want the learner to be able to perform or, in other words, how do we expect them to apply the knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010)?  This needs to be determined up front to allow us to frame our teachings in a way that is conducive to the learning process (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

Novice Versus Expert Knowledge Organization

 The connections that people form directly relate to whether they have novice level knowledge or expert knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010).  The novice does not have the ability to form connections between points of data; their data is organized like separate facts floating around (Ambrose et al., 2010).  This makes applying the information very difficult and can harm the learning process (Ambrose et al., 2010).  The expert, however, forms complex connections and can see the big picture (Ambrose et al., 2010).  Everything becomes interconnected, allowing people to recall a lot of information and apply it when needed (Ambrose et al., 2010).  The learning principle is illustrated in the figure below (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

  Studies show that giving structure to the way the information is organized facilitates the learning process (Ambrose et al., 2010).  It is not safe to assume that students will automatically see how the concepts relate (Ambrose et al., 2010).  This leads me to the next point, which is a very, very important implication of the research discussed in this chapter.  You as the instructor are a subject matter expert and already have very deep connections to the material (Ambrose et al., 2010).  In order to successfully transfer knowledge, an educator has to be conscious of this fact and not assume that students will organize the knowledge as an expert would (Ambrose et al., 2010).  An example of a time I have seen this in action was with a co-worker that was not cognizant of her very deep connections to the material.  It was challenging to follow the training sessions and relate to the material because, due to her deep rooted connections, the information came across as choppy to a novice.  On the flip side, I have also seen experts that are cognizant of their level of knowledge and they are very successful communicating the connections and laying a framework for learners.  The bottom line is that students need to be taught how to organize information in a meaningful way (Ambrose et al., 2010).  Not only that, but we need to remember to monitor their progression throughout the learning process (Ambrose et al., 2010).

Recommended Strategies

    There are some helpful strategies educators may use to help learners organize knowledge in a meaningful way.  Some examples include creating a concept map to understand how you organized the knowledge, analyzing the objectives (i.e. what you want them to be able to do) and construct the information in a way that leads toward the desired end result, and help students organize knowledge as they are learning (Ambrose et al., 2010).  You can even have the students create concept maps to help you understand how they organize knowledge (Ambrose et al., 2010). 

References:
Ambrose, S. A., Bridges, M. W., DiPietro, M., Lovett, M. C. & Norman, M. K. (2010).  How Learning Works: 7 Research-Based Principles for Smart Teaching.  San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.