There are different views on the meaning of "knowledge". Even educators often have various and different opinions on the definition of knowledge. The following definitions of knowledge have been taken from two well-known English dictionaries:

"Facts, information, and skills acquired through experience or education; the theoretical or practical understanding of a subject."

- Oxford Dictionary

"The fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience or association; acquaintance with or understanding of a science, art, or technique."

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Of course, there are many other definitions of knowledge. However, as you may have noticed, there seems to be a common theme: that experience or the act of becoming acquainted with the information or skills is required in order to understand it.

In other words, it takes time and effort to acquire knowledge - like the time and effort you are taking right now to learn about learning online!

Types of Knowledge

Of course, there is more to the subject of knowledge than the dictionary provides. For example, many people believe that there are different types of knowledge which take different levels of effort to achieve. Again, there are various opinions about the classification of these different types of knowledge. One opinion by E. Gagne (1985) suggests the following types of knowledge.

Declarative knowledge: A type of knowledge where a person can remember, recognize, or state information in his or her own words. For example, a person is able to list the capital city of some US states, spell a word correctly, remember and recite a poem or story, and so on.
Concepts and Principles: Conceptual knowledge occurs when a person understands how information is organized or classified. Concepts can be further divided into concrete or defined categories. Examples of a concrete concept include the ability to classify new items by their colour, sound, smell, etc. A defined concept, on the other hand, is the ability to use a set of characteristics in order to classify an idea; for example, is something a "democracy" or is something a certain "type of chemical"?

Principle knowledge is where a person understands relationships between ideas or concepts which they use to predict, explain or control circumstances. This type of knowledge is also called "relational" knowledge. This is the type of knowledge that applies to "if-then" relationships. A couple of examples might include:
- If you heat gas, then it expands.
- If you exercise regularly, then you will tend to become more physically fit.
Procedural knowledge: Procedural knowledge refers to understanding the order or procedure in which certain steps should be taken. Examples of procedural knowledge could include: knowing how to complete a multi-step math equation in the proper order, knowing the process for operating a piece of machinery, or knowing how to perform certain tasks at one's job.

(These descriptions were adapted from Smith and Ragan (2005))

"Now it's your turn!

"You may be asking yourself, "What have I gotten myself into with this course? That's too much theory for me!" Rest assured that once we get a through some of these foundational concepts, we will dive into the practical and exciting material to set you on your path to becoming a successful online learner."

"And, of course, we don't want you to go on without making sure you feel comfortable and understand the material. To do so we've provided you with a couple of opportunities for you to both gauge how well you understand the concepts of this topic (Practice Activity) and explore the content a bit more (Explore Activity). Click the links in the Practice and Explore Activities below to test your understanding of this material (Practice) and further build (Explore) upon the material."

go to What is Knowledge? activity
A sorting exercise.

The practice activities open in a new tab or browser window. When you complete the exercise, proceed to close the tab/window. If you wish to restart or redo the activity, click on the Re-start button below the activity or you my re-enter from this page.

How would you define knowledge?

Search the web and find definitions or examples of what is meant by the term knowledge. When you have found something that you like and think is a good explanation of the term, share it with the class by posting on the wall below.

Go to the What is Knowledge padlet

Padlet Instructions
You can post images, video links, or simple text. You can also drag and drop images from your computer. To post on the wall, click on any open space and a text box should appear for your entry.

Notice the icons located at the bottom of the box which allow for audio, video, photos and attachments. When you are finished, just click anywhere outside of the box to save your entry.

If you wish to edit your post, double-click anywhere in the box and a small menu will appear in the upper right corner of your post; click on the pencil icon to edit. You may also comment on the posts of others by clicking on 'Add Comment' at the bottom of the textbox.

you are on..
pg.4/8, Module 1