Table 1 - Four Dimensions of Understanding and Levels (summarized from Mansilla and Gardner, 1998)
Framework for Understanding - Four
Dimensions of Understanding and Levels |
|||
Knowledge |
Methods |
Purposes |
Forms |
|
|
|
|
A. Transformed
intuitive beliefs |
A. Healthy
skepticism |
A. Awareness of
the purposes of knowledge |
A. Mastery of
performance genres |
Naive – intuitive beliefs dominate |
Naive – the world "is what it is" |
Naive – do not see the importance of what is being taught |
Naive – unaware that there are accepted ways of showing
expertise |
Novice – some disciplinary knowledge |
Novice – there is a need to back up statements but
information is not used to question content presented in the discipline |
Novice – can see there are important questions but still
do not understand why |
Novice – able to follow instructions |
Apprentice – disciplinary knowledge taking hold and
competing with intuitive beliefs |
Apprentice – beginning to see that knowledge is created by
humans and can be questioned but may become hyper critical or simply repeat
the skepticism of others |
Apprentice – can see importance of big questions and
connect them back to what they are learning when prompted |
Apprentice – understand instructions and are aware of one
set of rules when they start to learn another set |
Master – the discipline dominates and common sense or
intuitive beliefs are used to inspire future disciplinary knowledge |
Master – knowledge is contestable and is best when
constructed using multiple methods versus only a single method |
Master - can independently look for essential questions, puzzle
through why they are important in people's lives, and understand how some
knowledge accumulation can have negative effects at times |
Master – move easily from one set of performance skills or
criteria to another, has ownership of own way of doing things within accepted
rules, and can create new ways of doing things |
B. Coherent
& rich conceptual webs |
B. Building
knowledge in the domain |
B. Multiple uses
& consequences of knowledge |
B. Effective use
of symbol systems |
Naive – no differentiation between examples and
generalizations |
Naive – the only way of gaining knowledge is through trial
and error |
Naive – can perform tasks as told |
Naive – symbol systems are used but do not communicate a
clear message |
Novice – connections between examples and generalizations
are made based on rehearsed answers |
Novice – starting to see that there are other ways of
figuring out what works but just go "by the book" for now |
Novice – can see consequences or make connections to real
world when prompted |
Novice – overreliance on one system |
B. Coherent and
rich conceptual webs (cont.) |
B. Building
knowledge in the domain (cont.) |
B. Multiple uses
& consequences of knowledge (cont.) |
B. Effective use
of symbol systems (cont.) |
Apprentice – while not seamless, can move between examples
and generalizations as needed |
Apprentice – can see how useful different methods are for
building knowledge but get stuck on using just one method |
Apprentice – can use knowledge in new ways and relate
knowledge to real world problem solving |
Apprentice – can use more than one symbol system when
asked and showing mastery of one system to the point of being able to be
flexible and creative |
Master – ideas are organized, can move easily between specifics
and broader concepts, and new interpretations can be made |
Master – use variety of methods from the profession to
create dependable knowledge and even see how new methods can come from "public,
rational argument" (pg. 189) |
Master – can use knowledge in new ways to make predictions
or improvements and can see the world through the discipline's lenses |
Master - can use symbol systems effectively and persuasively to
communication ideas and can flexibly use them in creative ways |
|
C. Validating
knowledge in the domain |
C. Ownership
& autonomy |
C. Consideration
of audience & context |
|
Naive – no criteria for validation |
Naive – do not see a need for own personal view of the
profession |
Naive – unaware of audiences and surprised that
miscommunication occurs |
|
Novice – validation based on textbooks or recent
experiences |
Novice – can see personal philosophies of those in
authority and can be creative when prompted |
Novice – aware of audience but expects audience to adjust
to them and miscommunication is the audience's fault |
|
Apprentice – validation is important but unsophisticated |
Apprentice – can use knowledge on their own but do not
take into consideration that others have different views |
Apprentice – can take audience into consideration when
reminded but still think good intentions equal good communication |
|
Master – use of multiple methods of validation, see how
validation criteria is based on worldviews, and can question criteria |
Master - feel authorized to use knowledge, understand they have
a point of view, and able to see consequences from different points of view |
Master – different worldviews are taken into
consideration, listening is seen as a part of communication, context is used
to enhance communication, and realizes that communication can engage other
people's deeply held beliefs |
Summary of Tables 6.1 - 6.5 (Mansilla and
Gardner 1998, 184-196) |