The book Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking (open access) offers an extensive plea by authors such as Dylan Wiliam, John Hattie, Tim Surma, Paul Kirschner and many others for the revaluation of knowledge in education. It emphasizes that knowledge forms a basis for learning and is crucial for developing complex cognitive skills such as critical thinking, problem-solving and reading comprehension. Something that readers of this blog will recognize. Here, I discuss some of the key insights from the book and the practical implications for education.

The importance of knowledge in learning
One of the book’s central propositions is that knowledge forms a foundation for all learning processes. The book describes how knowledge is stored in long-term memory structures (schemas), making it easier to process and remember new information. This process enables students to understand new concepts by connecting them to what they already know.

Practical implication: Teachers must explicitly activate prior knowledge to promote effective learning. This can be done, for example, by using preliminary questions or schemes that help the student recall relevant knowledge before new material is presented.

Knowledge and complex skills
A common misconception is that complex skills, such as critical thinking, can be learned independently. The book shows that these skills are highly dependent on domain-specific knowledge. For example, a student cannot critically analyze a scientific article without first understanding the subject area.

Practical implication: The curriculum should focus on developing generic skills and building deep knowledge in specific domains. This requires a balanced distribution of time and resources across different subjects and disciplines.

The role of background knowledge in reading comprehension
The book emphasizes that background knowledge is a crucial factor for reading comprehension. Readers with more knowledge about a subject can understand texts faster and make better inferences. This is because they can connect new information and what they already know more easily.

Practical implications: Schools should invest in enriching students’ general knowledge base to help them develop better reading skills. This can be done, for example, through interdisciplinary projects in which students combine their knowledge of history, science, and literature.

Designing a knowledge-rich curriculum
The book advocates for a curriculum built around core concepts and essential knowledge rather than focusing on generic skills. Such a curriculum helps increase knowledge and promotes coherence and clarity in the learning process.

Practical implications: Schools and policymakers should prioritize developing a knowledge-rich curriculum. This means setting clear goals for what students should learn, focusing on vertical (building) and horizontal (interconnected) coherence in the subject matter.

So…
The book Developing Curriculum for Deep Thinking provides a clear roadmap for redesigning education to promote deep learning. The authors argue that by placing knowledge at the centre, students can better prepare for a complex and rapidly changing world. For schools, this means making a conscious choice to embrace knowledge-based education and implementing it systematically.