Declarative Knowledge
Declarative Knowledge learning involves “knowing that” something is the case. This means for learners to “understand” the content. It is also commonly referred to as “verbal info”. Words such as explain, describe, summarize and list are used to describe declarative knowledge performance. It is also thought as mere rote memorization, uninteresting and unimportant. But it is the substance of much of our thinking and is rarely is it or should it be acquired via “rote learning”. Geographical knowledge, cultural literacy are examples of declarative knowledge
This typed of learning is also strongly tied to other types of learning (which will be discussed later in other weeks).
There are 3 subtypes of declarative knowledge
1. Labels & Names
- AKA Paired Associate Learning
Learning of this category involves pairing of information and it requires learners to make a connecting link (either Propositional OR Image-based) between two elements. E.g. foreign language vocabulary learning, learning names of state capitols. Learning of labels does not necessarily require learning the meaning of the 2 linked ideas but rather learning that one thing links to the other. One thing to note though is that this process of learning gets more difficult as the number of labels to be learned increases OR when similarity between information pairs increases OR when connections between pairs becomes less meaningful. At the same time, when learners do not already possess concepts, it makes the learning of labels much more difficult because they lack meaning.
2. Facts & Lists
This type is fundamentally propositional in nature
- A fact: is a statement that describes a relationship between or among concepts
→ E.g. Ann Richards was the governor of Texas
- A list: is a group of elements that must be remembered together
→ The order of the list may or may not be important
To be remembered, these facts and lists must be made meaningful by integrating them with prior knowledge. The more the isolated a fact is, the more difficult it is to learn. If we remember them, it is generally because it is important info to us. E.g. When you remember you phone number. Once we have some knowledge, it becomes increasingly easy to add to it. As the network or knowledge base becomes larger and more complex, it also becomes easier to add more. This is a result of learning Declarative knowledge (linking, elaborating and organizing)
3. Organized Discourse
This type is also propositional in nature. Whereas facts and lists are discrete, the phenomenon of discourse involves the comprehension of a thread of meaning that runs through an extensive body of information. The archetype of discourse learning is learning through reading a text (typically expository text). For the activity to result in learning, the discourse (which itself is an integrated body of knowledge) must be tied to existing knowledge.
Next, we discuss about the Cognitive Processes in Declarative Knowledge Learning.
1. LINKING
The primary form of representation of our declarative knowledge is theorized to be in propositional networks - A proposition is similar to a sentence.
E.g. Pat gave a large bone to Sarah, a smooth collie – contains 3 proposition
- Pat gave a bone to Sarah
- The bone was large
- Sarah is a smooth collie
The relationship between sentences and propositions is
- Sentences may contain more than one proposition
- Propositions are the ideas, and sentences are what we commonly use to express the ideas
-Propositions may also be expresses as diagrams or illustrations, mathematic expressions, musical notation or other forms of languaging
- A network of proposition is the collection of many propositions linked together in some fashion
- The links that are formed in a propositional network are idiosyncratic to a large extend and are almost as important to the knowledge as the content of the proposition themselves
So I supposed a proposition is a subset of a sentence.
Under this process, we have the schema theory.
A schema is a cluster of related ideas. E.g. Each of us has a schema of a restaurant: A sequence of events that generally occur in a restaurant, and also the objects and people you would expect to see there. This operation of schemata in cognition is akin to a stage play. Knowledge that an individual possess resides in internal structures which are like play scripts. Although a script specifies characters and events, many particulars vary from performance to performance. The use of a schema involves the instantiation process. This process is the making an instance-based use of a schema is similar to the performance of a play. Memories of instantiated schemata are similar to videos of plays can be viewed as the basis of recollections
Whether we think of the information as propositional networks of schemata, the significance of the relatedness of knowledge in memory is the same. That is to say, to learn declarative knowledge, it must be linked to existing knowledge
Under schema theory, learning is proposed to take play by 3 major events
1. Accretion
- Is the building up of factual learning through memory traces – the residue of experience
2. Tuning
- Takes place as a result of accommodating a structure to new information
3. Restructuring
- Takes place when existing cognitive structures are not sufficient or appropriate for knowledge gained and a new structure must be developed
Just as I have mentioned, for information to be easily learned, recalled and used, new declarative knowledge must be tied to the learners’ existing (i.e. prior) knowledge. Hence, to be stored in long term memory, incoming information must be meaningful. Incoming information can be meaningful when we have some prior knowledge that links to it. In cases, where there is little prior knowledge to link to, learners have to employ artificial links. These links tend to focus on surface similarities such as similar sounds, shapes, and sensory impressions. When a learner is working in an unfamiliar area, then early learning may lean heavily on sound associations, similarity in physical features such as letter sequences or other nonmeaningful sources of connection. When even these trick links cannot be made, one has to resort to sheer rote repetition to get the information to be stored in long term memory
The result of linking is construction of meaning. The heart of the process of learning declarative knowledge is this creation of meaning. In this process, we are constructing meaning and are thus acquiring declarative knowledge. This process takes more time and it takes the learner 10 seconds to encode a new bit of information. The rate of information presentation in rate-controlled media such as television is frequently too fast for learners to process new information and therefore remember it
2. ORGANIZING
Organizing new information is another cognitive activity that facilitates the learning of declarative knowledge. As we receive new information, we actively organize it by clumping/chunking sets together, separately sets from one another, subordinating, and making relationships among sets. It is like organizing the books on a bookself or clothes in a closet. For instance, I'd organize my clothes according to their colors, then further sub-categorize them according to their type (e.g. sleeveless, short sleeves, 1/2 sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeves...) and even going beyond that to categorize them according to type (casual wear, semi formal, formal, school).
Such organization may simplify the cognitive load of handling and remember masses of data . Organization may add meaning by placing new unfamiliar material into some existing slot. Slots can assist recall by providing a beginning point of recall of the rest of schema OR aid recall by limiting the spread of activation of memory to smaller and more related area. Although organization is something learners do internally, instruction may either provide organization for the learner or help them engage in organization themselves
3. ELABORATING (ELABORATION OF INFORMATION)
When we receive new information, we tend to add to that information; partly so that it makes sense to us and so that the information will be more retrievable. We elaborate by filling in gaps, making inferences, imagining examples etc. This activity of elaboration is more inevitable in learning and thus more important in instruction. Previously, elaboration was thought of as additional info (not really necessary). However, elaboration is a basic process by which links are made within information being received as well as for connecting new info to existing ones. Although humans are well-equipped to engage in elaboration, they do not always do so when needed (e.g. when we "feel" that there is no need). The unmotivated learner OR one who is not skilled in employing need learning strategies OR one with little prior knowledge; may not engage in the mental activity needed to learn declarative knowledge. Hence instructional strategies are needed to encourage learners to perform elaborations required to learn the material
Kay Events supporting this learning
Introduction
- Deploy attention
- Establish instructional purpose
- Arouse interest and motivation
- Preview lesson
Body
- Recall prior knowledge
- Process information
- Focus attention
- Employ learning strategies
- Practice
- Evaluate feedback
Conclusion
- Summarize and review
- Transfer knowledge
- Remotivate and close
Assessment
- Assess performance
- Feedback and remediation
Declarative Knowledge learning involves “knowing that” something is the case. This means for learners to “understand” the content. It is also commonly referred to as “verbal info”. Words such as explain, describe, summarize and list are used to describe declarative knowledge performance. It is also thought as mere rote memorization, uninteresting and unimportant. But it is the substance of much of our thinking and is rarely is it or should it be acquired via “rote learning”. Geographical knowledge, cultural literacy are examples of declarative knowledge
This typed of learning is also strongly tied to other types of learning (which will be discussed later in other weeks).
There are 3 subtypes of declarative knowledge
1. Labels & Names
- AKA Paired Associate Learning
Learning of this category involves pairing of information and it requires learners to make a connecting link (either Propositional OR Image-based) between two elements. E.g. foreign language vocabulary learning, learning names of state capitols. Learning of labels does not necessarily require learning the meaning of the 2 linked ideas but rather learning that one thing links to the other. One thing to note though is that this process of learning gets more difficult as the number of labels to be learned increases OR when similarity between information pairs increases OR when connections between pairs becomes less meaningful. At the same time, when learners do not already possess concepts, it makes the learning of labels much more difficult because they lack meaning.
2. Facts & Lists
This type is fundamentally propositional in nature
- A fact: is a statement that describes a relationship between or among concepts
→ E.g. Ann Richards was the governor of Texas
- A list: is a group of elements that must be remembered together
→ The order of the list may or may not be important
To be remembered, these facts and lists must be made meaningful by integrating them with prior knowledge. The more the isolated a fact is, the more difficult it is to learn. If we remember them, it is generally because it is important info to us. E.g. When you remember you phone number. Once we have some knowledge, it becomes increasingly easy to add to it. As the network or knowledge base becomes larger and more complex, it also becomes easier to add more. This is a result of learning Declarative knowledge (linking, elaborating and organizing)
3. Organized Discourse
This type is also propositional in nature. Whereas facts and lists are discrete, the phenomenon of discourse involves the comprehension of a thread of meaning that runs through an extensive body of information. The archetype of discourse learning is learning through reading a text (typically expository text). For the activity to result in learning, the discourse (which itself is an integrated body of knowledge) must be tied to existing knowledge.
Next, we discuss about the Cognitive Processes in Declarative Knowledge Learning.
1. LINKING
The primary form of representation of our declarative knowledge is theorized to be in propositional networks - A proposition is similar to a sentence.
E.g. Pat gave a large bone to Sarah, a smooth collie – contains 3 proposition
- Pat gave a bone to Sarah
- The bone was large
- Sarah is a smooth collie
The relationship between sentences and propositions is
- Sentences may contain more than one proposition
- Propositions are the ideas, and sentences are what we commonly use to express the ideas
-Propositions may also be expresses as diagrams or illustrations, mathematic expressions, musical notation or other forms of languaging
- A network of proposition is the collection of many propositions linked together in some fashion
- The links that are formed in a propositional network are idiosyncratic to a large extend and are almost as important to the knowledge as the content of the proposition themselves
So I supposed a proposition is a subset of a sentence.
Under this process, we have the schema theory.
A schema is a cluster of related ideas. E.g. Each of us has a schema of a restaurant: A sequence of events that generally occur in a restaurant, and also the objects and people you would expect to see there. This operation of schemata in cognition is akin to a stage play. Knowledge that an individual possess resides in internal structures which are like play scripts. Although a script specifies characters and events, many particulars vary from performance to performance. The use of a schema involves the instantiation process. This process is the making an instance-based use of a schema is similar to the performance of a play. Memories of instantiated schemata are similar to videos of plays can be viewed as the basis of recollections
Whether we think of the information as propositional networks of schemata, the significance of the relatedness of knowledge in memory is the same. That is to say, to learn declarative knowledge, it must be linked to existing knowledge
Under schema theory, learning is proposed to take play by 3 major events
1. Accretion
- Is the building up of factual learning through memory traces – the residue of experience
2. Tuning
- Takes place as a result of accommodating a structure to new information
3. Restructuring
- Takes place when existing cognitive structures are not sufficient or appropriate for knowledge gained and a new structure must be developed
Just as I have mentioned, for information to be easily learned, recalled and used, new declarative knowledge must be tied to the learners’ existing (i.e. prior) knowledge. Hence, to be stored in long term memory, incoming information must be meaningful. Incoming information can be meaningful when we have some prior knowledge that links to it. In cases, where there is little prior knowledge to link to, learners have to employ artificial links. These links tend to focus on surface similarities such as similar sounds, shapes, and sensory impressions. When a learner is working in an unfamiliar area, then early learning may lean heavily on sound associations, similarity in physical features such as letter sequences or other nonmeaningful sources of connection. When even these trick links cannot be made, one has to resort to sheer rote repetition to get the information to be stored in long term memory
The result of linking is construction of meaning. The heart of the process of learning declarative knowledge is this creation of meaning. In this process, we are constructing meaning and are thus acquiring declarative knowledge. This process takes more time and it takes the learner 10 seconds to encode a new bit of information. The rate of information presentation in rate-controlled media such as television is frequently too fast for learners to process new information and therefore remember it
2. ORGANIZING
Organizing new information is another cognitive activity that facilitates the learning of declarative knowledge. As we receive new information, we actively organize it by clumping/chunking sets together, separately sets from one another, subordinating, and making relationships among sets. It is like organizing the books on a bookself or clothes in a closet. For instance, I'd organize my clothes according to their colors, then further sub-categorize them according to their type (e.g. sleeveless, short sleeves, 1/2 sleeves, 3/4 sleeves, long sleeves...) and even going beyond that to categorize them according to type (casual wear, semi formal, formal, school).
Such organization may simplify the cognitive load of handling and remember masses of data . Organization may add meaning by placing new unfamiliar material into some existing slot. Slots can assist recall by providing a beginning point of recall of the rest of schema OR aid recall by limiting the spread of activation of memory to smaller and more related area. Although organization is something learners do internally, instruction may either provide organization for the learner or help them engage in organization themselves
3. ELABORATING (ELABORATION OF INFORMATION)
When we receive new information, we tend to add to that information; partly so that it makes sense to us and so that the information will be more retrievable. We elaborate by filling in gaps, making inferences, imagining examples etc. This activity of elaboration is more inevitable in learning and thus more important in instruction. Previously, elaboration was thought of as additional info (not really necessary). However, elaboration is a basic process by which links are made within information being received as well as for connecting new info to existing ones. Although humans are well-equipped to engage in elaboration, they do not always do so when needed (e.g. when we "feel" that there is no need). The unmotivated learner OR one who is not skilled in employing need learning strategies OR one with little prior knowledge; may not engage in the mental activity needed to learn declarative knowledge. Hence instructional strategies are needed to encourage learners to perform elaborations required to learn the material
Kay Events supporting this learning
Introduction
- Deploy attention
- Establish instructional purpose
- Arouse interest and motivation
- Preview lesson
Body
- Recall prior knowledge
- Process information
- Focus attention
- Employ learning strategies
- Practice
- Evaluate feedback
Conclusion
- Summarize and review
- Transfer knowledge
- Remotivate and close
Assessment
- Assess performance
- Feedback and remediation
