Education helps learners transform accessible information into usable knowledge and generate new understandings. Decades of cognitive science research have demonstrated that the capability to make meaning — transform accessible information into usable knowledge — is not a passive process, but an active one. Building usable knowledge, knowledge that is accessible for future decision-making, depends not upon merely perceiving information, but upon active skills like making connections, synthesizing information, asking questions, selective attending, integrating new information with prior knowledge, strategic categorization, and active memorization. Constructing usable knowledge could involve collaborative knowledge building, a process essential to making information meaningful for learners. It involves learners working together, whether they are adults or children, to co-construct knowledge. This collaboration leverages diverse perspectives and experiences, enhancing the depth and breadth of understanding. Through dialogue and shared activities, learners can challenge and refine their ideas, leading to more robust and adaptable knowledge. Research has shown that collaborative environments where students engage in shared inquiry and problem-solving foster deeper understanding and collective knowledge advancement. Individuals differ greatly in their prior knowledge, familiarity with various ways of knowing, and approaches to building knowledge. Intentional design and multiple representations of information — the responsibility of any curriculum or instructional methodology — can offer the options and scaffolds necessary to ensure all learners have access to knowledge.

Prompt: How might we incorporate multiple ways for building individual and collective knowledge?