Recently I read this article about difference between knowledge and understanding.
Superlearner value pyramid
I am a bit obsessed about various forms of information and knowledge, so I hope you will not hate me for this short value pyramid:
| Type | Meaning | Superlearner term |
|---|---|---|
| Wisdom | Ability to use understanding properly to change the world around us | Superlearner mission |
| Understanding | Knowledge and its impact on people and universe | Coloured or multi-sensory content visualization |
| Knowledge | Different forms of information plus connections and associations between them | Interconnected chunks of markers |
| Information | Structured data containing meaningful insight | Visual markers |
| Data | Basic input from sensory or processing units | Details |
Encoding understanding in visual markers
Now the main difference between knowledge and understanding is the impact of knowledge on people and universe. What does this mean in our superlearner context? We address the issue several times.
First of all, when we preread the text and generate interest we set up the tone for the content. In the high-level visualization methods we set up the theme and mood of the visual markers. In hyperlinking we set up the colour of the stylized marks. In high-level chunking we prepare the basic knowledge trees and colour them.
Secondly, when we read each paragraph we can modify the colour of the markers used to encode the specific paragraph or line. We may also infuse a set of markers with emotional or multisensory input (smell, touch, taste). Please do not overdo with emotions – you do not want to get vivid dreaming or other psychedelic side-effects.
Finally, when generating and linking markers you can choose a type of dynamics: is it serious or funny, big or small, dramatic or subtle, happy or sad. At the end of each paragraph you may pause to think. When you encode the markers of the text you may want to add some markers of your understanding: how and where you can use this knowledge, whom can it help or alarm?
When mastering the superlearning skills it is very easy to become extremely technical. Your imagination can stand up for almost any challenge. The emphatic understanding usually comes later on, when you try to manipulate your knowledge base. But if you do not want to become a mission oriented robot, why wait?
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Is understanding (a process) truly on the same axis as data, information and knowledge (an object), or am I missing something?
This is a higher level of cognitive processing. For alternative taxonomy and further argumentation and links see e.g. http://www.keytostudy.com/comprehension-vs-retention/