[Back]Declarative Knowledge
Declarative Knowledge is the knowing of basic facts and the recall of stored information. It is the what, which means knowing what something is and what its meant to do. When writing declarative knowledge we often use the words explain, describe, summarize and list. Declarative knowledge is obtained in the following way:
New knowledge is presented by some medium and consumed by the individual.
The material presented is translated by the individual into propositions (ideas). Individuals then make relative connections within his/her memory.
The individual then generates elaborations as new connections stimulate the making of inferences.
Declarative knowledge is broken into three (3) subtypes:
Labels and Names Individuals mentally make a connecting link between 2 elements. This link could be prepositional or image based.
Facts and Lists A fact describes a relationship between or among concepts. A list is a group of elements, which may or may not be important.
Organized Discourse Discourse involves the comprehension of a thread of meaning that runs through an extensive body of information.
Also, declarative knowledge is often broken down into three (3) cognitive activities, Linking with existing knowledge, organizing the knowledge and Elaborating the knowledge. These cognitive activities are explained further below.
Linking New Information to Existing Knowledge: To learn and recall new information individuals have to tie new knowledge to knowledge they all ready possess. By linking new information to existing knowledge, individuals make the information more meaningful. In order to store this knowledge into long-term memory an individual must make it meaningful. In coming information will become meaningful when there is some prior knowledge that links to it. A result of linking is construction of meaning, which is at the heart of declarative knowledge.
Organizing: Putting new information into groups also helps in the learning of declarative knowledge. This placement of information also involves placing it into different areas of the memory. As information is received we actively organize it by grouping things together, separating one group from another, subordinating and making relationships among groups. An example of this are phone numbers for example: the phone number 17025551212 is grouped and separated in our mind as 1 (702) 555-1212. Organization often adds meaning by placing new unfamiliar material into some existing order.
Elaborating: Making connections among the Information being received as well as connecting new information to existing knowledge. Elaborating is a basic process by which links are made within information being received as well as for connecting new information to existing knowledge and structures.[Back]