“I Know” vs. “I Can”: Why Different Knowledge May Need Different Learning Experiences

If different kinds of knowledge are represented differently, should we teach and practice them in the same way ?.

I suppose our anwser would be know, which is why it's imperative to know the classification of knowledge we have to help us tailor our design solutions.

And so we should think of memory as different kinds of things we can know.

And they can be looked at through the lens of two things;

What we can consciously break down & What we can articulate.

And a simple encoding cue I’d use to keep this in mind would be that

There is the “I know - knowledge” and the “I can - knowledge”

and when these come together, it becomes the

“I Know I Can - Knowledge”

Starting with the first type of knowledge,

DECLARATIVE KNOWLEDGE

This is the type that's referred to as "Declarative Knowledge", also known as the “I know - knowledge” for me.

And in simple words, this is usually the type of knowledge we can tell someone about. This is knowledge that can be put into words, and can be consciously stated or explained.

For example:

Explaining what side of the road you drive on in your country.

Explaining the processes of doing something.

On the other hand,

PROCEDURAL KNOWLEDGE

The second type of knowledge is what is referred to as “Procedural Knowledge”, which is different from declarative knowledge because it is knowledge that is expressed through our ability to perform something, and not necessarily through consciously being able to break it down or articulate it into words. This is the type that shows up in your performance, even when you cannot fully explain every step of how you do it.

For example :

🚲 Riding a bicycle

• You may not be able to explain exactly how you balance.
• But you can do it.

🏊 Swimming

• You might struggle to explain every movement your body makes.
• But your body knows how to perform the sequence.

And so, if you can consciously state or explain the knowledge, then it is declarative knowledge.

But if the knowledge is primarily demonstrated through your ability to perform something, then it is procedural knowledge.

Day 82 of Instructional Design

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