Content Knowledge
The Approach for Content Knowledge Situations
This section is going to focus on how to figure out what learning theory is most appropriate for helping learners learn and recall information.
Question #1
Of all the information listed here, what information is considered the most important and what is considered the least important?
*Rank the information so we can prioritize it.
Organizing the Brain
The human brain is a complex organ which is vital when it comes to learning. However, to keep this from turning into a college level psychology class, we are going to focus on a very simplified but important cognitive idea.
By figuring out what information is more important/relevant than others, we can devote more time to the encoding and storage efforts in relation to memory.
Basically, we can insert and create elements within the project to help the human brain better encode and store the information in their memory. If better stored, like a filing cabinet, they could then recall that information in a shorter amount of time and with less outside assistance.
A great website to better understand this is linked here.
Question #2
Are supports an option?
Supports / Job Aids
Much like when teaching a skill, if supports are a realistic option in the work place they should be considered. A job aid or a support of some kind could help the brain recall the information that hasn't been prioritized as high as the other information.
Basically, the support would act as a "refresher" for the information that isn't used the most or is the most likely to be not properly encoded.
For example, an accountant probably needs to be able to recall the various equations and formulas used to balance a spreadsheet in Excel. But let's say that if a report is being generated for a client during the month of January, the accountant's company expects that all reports sent out to clients include a reminder that tax season is just around the corner.
Since this information is not used on daily basis and is seasonal, a well place infographic or job aid could be effect in making up for this low prioritized content.
Question #3
How quickly does recall and application need to take place?
Recall Speed
This last question is designed to focus more on the application side of content mastery. When I was a classroom teacher, I tried to explain to students that being able to recall information on a homework assignment due by the end of the week, is a totally different situation than being able to recall information during an exam.
So in this question, I am trying to figure how quickly will the learner need to recall the information. Will the situation most likely be stressful, or is something that could take a few hours to think about. Responding to a client email within 24 hours with information is different than having to deal with an angry customer who is currently in front of you and not going away.
Therefore, depending on the situation and the level of stress associated with it, certain learning theories may be better suited than others. For example, if the situation required content knowledge is stressful it may be worth exploring concepts centered around Yerkes‐Dodson Law.
So how do you use these questions?
Example
With questions 1-3 answered honestly by the stakeholder, the collected information becomes valuable for the designer. Let's look at a fictional example of an accountant working in a big company. Below are some basic answers given to the three questions by a fictional stakeholder.
My accountants need to know how to combine and balance spreadsheets. Therefore I had all my experienced accountants create a list of equations, formulas, and types of files related to Excel put together for them. The other important information which is still important but not nearly as day-to-day as the former, are the company's monthly goals. This list has been constructed by the CFO and reflects specific goals that are often associated with specific months.
Our employees are mostly hybrid workers and therefore spend three of the five days of the week in the office and two days working remotely. Since there is no client-facing tasks or roles with the accounting position, I see no reason why they can't have company-issued job aids or supports in their workspace. However, we don't currently have anything like that in existence. I think there is a binder from the 1990s somewhere in the storage room at the corporate office.
Most of our accountants are working with three or four clients a day, each with their own spreadsheets. Although a lot of the tasks require the same knowledge of excel, each client may have their own unique deadlines. Therefore, in order to keep things running smoothly I need my accountants to be able to work through the 3-4 different spreadsheets before they clock out each day.
Potential Solution
The project will definitely need to focus more on the day to day Excel information.
To help reinforce this information in the learner's memory, a shorter digital version of the Pomodoro Technique would be recommended.
The monthly information which is ranked lower could be turned into a series of job aids/ infographics to be given after completion of the project.
Implementing elements that reflect Experiential Learning Theory could help learners be able to recall the information in a shorter amount of time.