We live in the Information Age. It began somewhere in 1970’s with the advent of computer and we are still pretty much residing in it.
Why is it called so? Well because the first time in history, people can access information and knowledge easily.
Just look at this example that illustrates how easy it truly is!
Let’s say you want to learn about the art of candle making, you will most likely go to google, type it in - quickly glance through Wikipedia, check out some YouTube videos, maybe follow a creator on Instagram, order the candle making kit from amazon and try to make your first candle! How easy, how convenient.
Now let’s go back to 80’s in India. A teen growing up in a small tier-2 town trying to figure out how to make candles. What would she have done? Probably find out a craft book, remember those books which had how to draw and some craft activities, search for candle making, perhaps fail, find out more books or directly go to a craft shop and the shop keeper there may act as the influencer and share a candle making kit- now this is an optimistic scenario, the shopkeeper may just also shoo her away- and then she would come back and experiment and fail and give up or try it again.
The mere opportunity of living in a time we are, is a blessing and a curse. We are surrounded with so much information, that I can begin a beer brewing business in my basement or spend away up to 5 hours daily on my phone screen.
We live in a noisy world with information at our fingertips that we have simply become information gatherers- acquiring more and more and more.
How do we make sense of all the information at our disposal and turn it into a gold mine of knowledge?
How to Transform Information into Knowledge
We are going to use something called a Bloom’s Taxonomy, a favourite of educators.
Bloom’s Taxonomy is a hierarchical model that helps educator determine learning objectives and goals. It has 6 levels - Remember, Understand, Apply, Analyse, Evaluate, Create.
We are not going to deep dive into the theoretical aspects of it but look at how to take this back in our lives in a more tactical manner.
Let’s look at 2 examples:
Candle Making
Yoga
Example#1
Learning Goal: Candle Making
Information: You can bookmark all information about candle making, make a youtube playlist, follow an influencer, but that does not mean you can actually do it.
Moving from information to knowledge using Bloom’s Taxonomy
Level 1: Remember -At this level, you can list down the different types of wax that can be used to make candles. You can remember the steps involved in making a candle.
Level 2: Understand - You can paraphrase or define or summarise the qualities of different types of wax. You can explain the steps to someone else.
Level 3: Apply - You can actually walk the talk and use wax and follow the steps to make it.
Level 4: Analyse - You can distinguish which is a faster more efficient way of making a candle.
Level 5: Evaluate - You can review or critically assess your process or someone else’s candle making process, their choice of wax used.
Level 6: Create - You can design and manufacture your own process or tweak the current process.
Example#2
Learning Goal: Yoga
Information: You find out an App, make a purchase and have access to daily workout routines and videos but again that does not mean you know about yoga. You just have information about Yoga.
Moving from information to knowledge using Bloom’s Taxonomy
Level 1: Remember - You can remember the names of different yoga postures.
Level 2: Understand - You can share benefits of a yoga pose with someone else.
Level 3: Apply - You can follow a yoga sequence.
Level 4: Analyse - You can examine a sequence and its benefits on your own body.
Level 5: Evaluate - You can organise poses depending on what you want to achieve let’s say a specific series of poses to become more flexible or gain strength.
Level 6: Create - You can create your own yoga sequences.
You can use bloom’s taxonomy to break down all your learning goals and move from Information to knowledge.
You can also use it to test how much you know about something. Let’s say you think you know about Aristotle’s take on poetry - Can you explain it to someone? Can you use it to analyse a given poem? Can you create a poem using the elements he spoke about?
Collecting information either by enrolling yourselves in a hundred courses, or buying books or bookmarking tabs or making furious notes will not lead to knowledge until and unless you can act on it.
Don’t be an information gatherer- there is Wikipedia for that. Use the information at your disposal to build and create knowledge!
Here are some questions for you to reflect on-
I hope this helps you along your learning journey. Use it to meet the goals you have set for yourself and always, always reflect on the process.
In the next newsletter, we will uncover learning strategies for each of these levels of knowledge.
If you liked this newsletter, share it with others who might like it. Ask them to subscribe!
Keep Learning!
Adios,
Avni
PS: The Learning Pill has reached a mini milestone. It has completed a month and shared 5 newsletters including this one, check them out here:
Help me help more self determined learners to reach their learning goals. Like, Comment and share this newsletter in your circles.