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It’s time to move on from the knowledge organiser.
They were once all the rage.
But they’ve proven to be flawed...
Practically and theoretically...
A thread
They were once all the rage.
But they’ve proven to be flawed...
Practically and theoretically...
A thread
The principles of a good knowledge organiser make sense.
All knowledge from a topic one one page.
Designed to aid self-quizzing. Saving teachers time in planning and streamlining the HW process.
All knowledge from a topic one one page.
Designed to aid self-quizzing. Saving teachers time in planning and streamlining the HW process.
Their popularity grew mainly through their association with Michaela Community School and the ‘knowledge movement’.
Teachers and leaders heard the stories of their power.
Desperate to take a bit of Michaela to their school, the KO became an easy strategy to apply.
Teachers and leaders heard the stories of their power.
Desperate to take a bit of Michaela to their school, the KO became an easy strategy to apply.
However, the further away from the source we’ve got, the poorer the intervention has become.
Schools have mandated the production of KO’s such that now any old revision sheet gets KO slapped on top of it.
Schools have mandated the production of KO’s such that now any old revision sheet gets KO slapped on top of it.
In addition, most schools don’t have self-quizzing cultures built in.
Students don’t use them effectively and just copy words across blindly without self-quizzing.
That’s a waste of HW time
Students don’t use them effectively and just copy words across blindly without self-quizzing.
That’s a waste of HW time
Added to this, there are theoretical problems.
Yes, it’s useful to have all this knowledge in one place.
But, lists aren’t a good way of presenting information.
Yes, it’s useful to have all this knowledge in one place.
But, lists aren’t a good way of presenting information.
As @OliCav points out, memory is spatial. We treat ideas like objects. The association between pieces of knowledge and their relationship is as important as the knowledge itself.
Memory is not a linear list!
Memory is not a linear list!
In addition, KO’s offer little for instruction of new knowledge. they don’t elicit the visual mnemonics that human memory can thrive off.
Students struggle to use them because they’re, well, hard to use!
Each individual fact is hidden in a sea of other facts.
Students struggle to use them because they’re, well, hard to use!
Each individual fact is hidden in a sea of other facts.
Instead of lists of knowledge, we should be thinking about associative links during instruction and during retrieval.
To do that, a better place to look is at knowledge structures.
Displays like this help to scaffold the thinking processes of experts for novices.
To do that, a better place to look is at knowledge structures.
Displays like this help to scaffold the thinking processes of experts for novices.
Resources:
Origins of the knowledge organiser: https://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/knowledge-organisers/
On self-testing: https://pcl.sitehost.iu.edu/rgoldsto/courses/dunloskyimprovinglearning.pdf
Ideas are objects:
Me on knowledge organisers: https://shallteach.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/knowledge-organisers-a-failed-revolution/
@Kris_Boulton on knowedge organisation: https://tothereal.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/knowledge-organisation/
Origins of the knowledge organiser: https://pragmaticreform.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/knowledge-organisers/
On self-testing: https://pcl.sitehost.iu.edu/rgoldsto/courses/dunloskyimprovinglearning.pdf
Ideas are objects:
Me on knowledge organisers: https://shallteach.wordpress.com/2020/07/25/knowledge-organisers-a-failed-revolution/
@Kris_Boulton on knowedge organisation: https://tothereal.wordpress.com/2017/09/09/knowledge-organisation/
