🎯 What role does knowledge play in learning?

📚 A common misconception: knowledge vs. general skills

It’s often said that:

Creativity and critical thinking are more important than memorisation.
Learning "by heart" turns people into parrots, void of thought or reasoning.
In the age of the Internet, why memorise when everything is just a click away?

💡 However, this perspective overlooks the crucial role of knowledge in the learning process.

Far from opposing comprehension, knowledge is often its prerequisite:

A concrete example: If I read, "Paul had a pair of aces, Gisèle a flush," knowing the rules of poker allows me to immediately grasp the stakes.

It also enhances deductive reasoning:

If I know that "Paul owed Gisèle money," I can deduce that Paul might get further into debt after this hand.

Accumulating knowledge enables learners to:

Make analogies: For example, between mathematical concepts or between mathematics and music.
Strengthen memory: By connecting ideas, learners create a network of mental associations.
Boost creativity: A richer network offers more paths to explore and innovate.

📌 Every new piece of information feeds existing knowledge, creating fertile ground for innovative ideas.

The more you know, the easier it becomes to learn new things.
By grouping information into “chunks,” you free up working memory capacity to acquire even more knowledge.
This ability to structure information enhances both retention and assimilation.

Memorisation isn’t an end in itself but an essential tool for comprehension, reasoning, and creativity.
Encourage knowledge acquisition in your teaching strategies to build solid foundations and multiply learning opportunities.

Keywords: learning, pedagogy, knowledge, recommendations

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