Divergent knowledge
As the name implies, divergent knowledge practise is about identifying where those who wish to teach and learn have different ways of thinking about things. Divergent knowledge is knowledge that can be expressed as a completely unique understanding.
Divergent knowledge is knowledge that is expressed as rules and answers to questions that may be answered through memorisation of those rules. (In this sense, divergent knowledge is knowledge relating to a specific discipline.)
As a practice, divergent knowledge cannot be disengaged from convergent knowledge.
Definition
Divergent knowledge is about interpretation and involves the individual learners in elaborating their own knowledges, understandings and beliefs from a single shared stimulus.[1]
[It should be noted that divergent knowledge and convergent knowledge processes do not arise from Piaget's theory.]
Possible strengths
The careful use of divergent knowledge processes allows a strengthening of a learner's procedural flexibility[2] (problem solving abilities) where the lesson highlights important problem features and allows the learner to develop an intrinsic understanding of the appropriate choice from among a number of problem solving procedures. e.g. In disassembling the details included in citations of sources and having to determine which details are key (those that should always be included) learners explore the nature of each parcel of information included and how it contributes to the whole. Working individually, the learners will draw on their more comfortable procedures for handling knowledge and variations in both prior knowledge and individual learning styles (e.g. visual versus digital) are likely to produce some very distinct results.
Possible weaknesses
'Divergers were supposed to be intuitive explorers of ideas in multiple frames.'[3]
In most instances, divergent knowledge processes tend to be included in creative arts classes and creative writing tasks.
When divergent knowledge processes are removed from their usual spaces they often come in conflict with assessment demands. e.g. Curriculum requiring that students show their understandings of a particular aspect of World War One through exhibiting knowledge of specific dates and names. This limiting of the field of inquiry is often combined with traditional methods of helping learners develop their skills in representing cause-and-effect - another requirement of curriculum. In this instance, divergent knowledge processes may fail because learners are limited in their choices of problem solving procedures.
Internal Links
Create a Publicity Brochure Lesson Plan
Recommended Reading
James C. Kaufman, Jonathan A. Plucker and John Baer. Essentials of Creativity Assessment. Ebooks Corporation, 2008. 'Chapter 2: Divergent Thinking Tests' - for a more comprehensive understanding of the development of theoretical understandings of divergent knowledge and a selection of definitions.
References
- ↑ Atherton, James. 'The Experiential Learning Cycle.' Learning and Teaching. Digital resource accessed June 13, 2012 via learningandteaching.
- ↑ Schneider, Michael,Bethany Rittle-Johnson and Jon R. Star. 'Relations Among Conceptual Knowledge, Procedural Knowledge, and Procedural Flexibility in Two Samples Differing in Prior Knowledge.' Developmental Psychology 47, no. 6 (2011): 1525-1538, p. 1535.
- ↑ Halatchliyski, I., Kimmerle, J., & Cress, U. (2011). Divergent and Convergent Knowledge Processes on Wikipedia. CSCL 2011. Digital copy accessed June 13, 2012 via reganmian.
Further Reading
J. S. Atherton. Learning and Teaching; Convergent and Divergent Learning. http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/converge.htm (accessed February 17, 2013). - this uses visual aids to explain the terms.
I. Halatchliyski, J. Kimmerle and U. Cress. 'Divergent and Convergent Knowledge Processes on Wikipedia.' http://reganmian.net/wiki/ref:halatchliyski2011divergent (accessed February 17, 2013) - this includes an explanation of how these knowledge processes relate to Piaget's thoeries.
External Links
--Beth Kicinski 13:49, 14 June 2012 (EST)