In Multimedia Learning by Richard Mayer discusses five kinds of knowledge: facts, concepts, procedures, strategies, and beliefs (page 31).
We as educators instinctively consider the first four types of knowledge when we create educational experiences. For instance in computer science we might introduce the concept of variables and then demonstrate how those variables can be used in a program. Or in math we might talk about different mathematical operators and then investigate the order of operations (remember PEMDAS?).
We might even dip our toes into the fifth type of knowledge – belief. We might encourage learners and remind them that if they stick with a particularly difficult concept they will emerge victorious.
Reflecting after more than twenty years of teaching, I have realized that I don’t devote enough attention to the belief knowledge.
One thing that I have used lately to help frame my teaching from a growth lens is to really focus on that elusive belief. Mayer categorizes the five types of knowledge into three buckets – and those buckets are now the guideposts when I design my learning environment.
DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE
These are the facts and concepts related to a topic. For instance, if you set out to teach someone archery it is a good idea to identify the parts of a bow and the parts of an arrow. Knowing what the knock is and what the fletchings are will be important later on. At this stage, knowing the vocabulary is sufficient.
PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE
These are the processes, procedures, and strategies that a learner needs to understand. In archery parlance, this would include learning how to string a bow, learning how to knock an arrow, and knowing how to aim. It’s the next logical step. Once the learner knows what the components are, they need to know how to use them.
ATTITUDINAL KNOWLEDGE
This is the belief part. This is the transformative part. When the new archer goes from “I’ve never shot an arrow before” to “Wow! I hit the target – I never thought I’d be able to do this!”, then the belief structure has been altered.
And the attitude change isn’t the endgame; it’s quite the opposite. The shift in self-perception is a way to fuel the fire. It can be a flywheel for future learning. Going from “I can’t learn Python” to “Okay – I don’t quite get it but I can see progress” to “Huh. I guess I am a programmer” is attitudinal knowledge.
There are a few ways we can help students realize the attitudinal knowledge when we teach. Encouragement is a good start, but it doesn’t stop there. Most of us naturally scaffold the content so that it can be coherently apprehended by our learners. And that’s another great mechanism to bring learners along. But one overlooked strategy is embracing failure. Admitting (or pretending to admit) when we don’t know something. Model failure as a tool to gain telemetry, not as a signal to stop what we’re doing. Showing metacognition as a tool to diagnose gaps in our learning and brainstorming antidotes. Demonstrating iteration as a viable tool to traverse complicated situations. Using micro-failures to normalize failure.
There are dozens of ways we can intentionally help our learners augment their beliefs. Building confidence in learning is essential to building persistence in life. The next time you are in the classroom, sprinkle in a little spice to give that attitudinal knowledge a kick.
This table is from page 32 of Mayer’s book and provides great examples for the types of knowledge:
| TYPE | DEFINITION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| Facts | Knowledge about characteristics of things or events | Electrical current is measured in amps |
| Concepts | Knowledge of categories, principles, or models | As voltage increases in a circuit current increases |
| Procedures | Knowledge of specific step-by-step processes | If V=10 and R=2 then you can compute I based on the formula I=V/R |
| Strategies | Knowledge of general methods about how to orchestrate one’s knowledge to achieve a goal | Make a drawing when you try to solve a word problem |
| Beliefs | Thoughts about oneself or about how one’s learning works | “I am good at online learning.” |
