Knowledge is a very broad concept that has several definitions, different forms, levels and characteristics. What is the hallmark of school knowledge? What areas do they cover? And why do you need to test knowledge? Let's start with the fundamental concept.
Knowledge
Here are four basic definitions:
- Knowledge is a type in which the results of a person’s activity aimed at cognition exist.
- In a broad, general sense, knowledge is a personal, subjective representation of an individual about the surrounding reality, enclosed in the form of concepts and definitions.
- In a specific, narrow sense of knowledge - this is verified information that helps to solve the task.
- Knowledge of any subject is a system of information about it that helps to use this subject to achieve the necessary results.
Knowledge does not necessarily relate to science, something complicated for assimilation and perception. The way you are comfortable holding a spoon, you know.
Forms of knowledge
There are three main forms of knowledge: conceptual, symbolic, and exemplary.
The first knowledge in history is considered the gaming knowledge of man. It has a training and developmental character, makes it possible to identify the personal qualities of a person.
There are also several types of knowledge:
- scientific knowledge;
- unscientific knowledge;
- common sense (everyday knowledge);
- intuitive;
- religious knowledge.
Scientific knowledge seeks to comprehend the truth, describe, explain, understand various facts, processes and phenomena. Their main characteristics are universality, objectivity, validity.
Unscientific knowledge exists in any society, obeys its principles, laws, and bears the stereotypes of this group of people. Otherwise they are called esotericism.
Ordinary knowledge is basic for a person, they determine how a person behaves, what actions he performs, help him navigate in reality. This kind of knowledge was already in the early stages of the development of the human community.
Nature of knowledge
By the nature of their knowledge can be procedural and declarative.
The first ones are active, they give an idea of the means for acquiring new knowledge, these are methods, algorithms, systems. For example, the brainstorming method.
The second - passive, so to speak, is a system of ideas about something, facts, formulations, concepts. For example, a traffic light has three colors: red, yellow and green.
Still knowledge is divided into scientific and extra-scientific. Scientific knowledge is empirical, knowledge gained experimentally or theoretical - abstract theories, assumptions.
Extra-scientific field of knowledge includes such knowledge as:
- parascientific (incompatible with the existing epistemological standard);
- pseudoscientific (developing the field of speculation, myth, prejudice);
- quasi-scientific (develop during periods of rigid ideology, totalitarianism, relying on violent methods);
- antiscientific (knowingly distorting existing knowledge, striving for utopia, develop during periods of social instability);
- pseudo-scientific (based on all known theories and legends);
- ordinary everyday (basic personality knowledge about the surrounding reality, constantly replenished);
- personal (depending on the abilities of the individual).
School knowledge
In the learning process, the child learns knowledge, learns to put it into practice (skills) and automates this process (skills).
The knowledge base obtained by students is a system, a combination of knowledge, skills acquired in the framework of training.
In the framework of schooling, knowledge is a system of laws of any part of the real world (subject area), which allows the student to solve specific tasks assigned to him. That is, knowledge includes in you such terms and concepts as:
- fact;
- concept;
- judgment;
- form;
- interconnection;
- assessment;
- rule
- algorithm;
- heuristic.
Knowledge is structured - this means that there are connections between them that characterize the degree of understanding of the basic laws and principles for a given subject area.
They are interpretable, that is, they can be explained, proved, justified.
Knowledge is interconnected in various blocks by topic, by function, etc.
They are also active - they produce new knowledge.
An individual can save (remember), reproduce, verify, update, transform, interpret knowledge.
Knowledge is needed so that a person can solve any specific problem, cope with the problem that has arisen, that is, he must know what to do in order to get an answer, a result.
Abilities
The practical application of knowledge is skills. Otherwise, it is the development of a method of performing actions that is provided, backed up by some knowledge. Their person (student) applies, transforms, generalizes, revises as necessary.
Skills
These are student skills brought to automatism. When the actions chosen consciously to solve this kind of problem are repeated again and again, and their result is correct, successful, a kind of reflex is developed.
The student, analyzing the task, chooses a way to solve it as soon as possible.
Knowledge check
The teacher needs to know how well the children have mastered the material, the topic, in order to continue learning further.
This requires regular testing of knowledge. Its main task is to increase the student's level of knowledge, not to humiliate him, to catch on ignorance of the material, lack of skills. The test should help the teacher figure out how successfully the children learn school knowledge.
In the history of Russian education, there have been many unsuccessful experiments in establishing the process of checking the understanding of topics, they were based on humiliation, intimidation, and were subjective.
Now we have a five-point knowledge assessment system.
The general concept of this section is control: identification, measurement, assessment of knowledge; checking them is only part of the control.
Also in the "control" there is the concept of "assessment" - a means of influence, personal stimulation and "assessment" - the process of identifying a level.
Monitoring should be objective, systematic, visual and consist of:
- preliminary checks at the beginning of the year;
- checks after each completed topic (current);
- repeated, reinforcing the amount of knowledge gained;
- checks on sections of the course (periodic);
- final;
- integrated.
Verification should perform three main functions:
- controlling (verification of knowledge before the next stage of training);
- teaching (implemented when working in a group);
- educational (stimulates self-control, activity, self-confidence).
Foreign languages
Knowledge of languages of other countries, peoples, the carrier of which a person is not, has always been a plus. A person who knows a foreign language well is distinguished from the rest. This helps to build a successful career, travel, develop memory, etc.
A person may have different merits, academic degrees, but knowledge of two (five, twelve) languages will always be a separate line in the list of his regalia and cause special respect.
At different times in Russia, knowledge of French, German, English and Chinese (now) was universally welcomed.
Teaching foreign languages has long been included in the general education system. The child can choose the language (s) that he wants to study at the very beginning of the course and optionally deepen his knowledge.
Private clubs and schools are also very actively developing, in which they study a variety of (from popular to rare and forgotten) languages. In some classes, native speakers conduct classes, and on vacation, offsite schools are created. At such events it is not customary to speak Russian; they communicate exclusively through the language being studied.
Language proficiency
There is an international gradation that determines the level of knowledge of a foreign language among students.
- Highest - fluency in writing and speaking - Proficient level.
- When a person speaks, reads and writes freely, making small mistakes, this is the Advanced level.
- Having a large vocabulary, the ability to enter into disputes, read any texts fluently and understand their contents with some inaccuracies, the man rose to the Upper Intermediate level.
- When the basic vocabulary is learned, but there is already a good listening comprehension, reading and writing skills are quite high, - Intermediate.
- If a person can understand a speech that is made especially for him (slowly and clearly), devotes a lot of time to the grammatical construction of phrases, his vocabulary also does not allow him to communicate freely - this is the Pre-Intermediate level.
- When the knowledge is basic, only basic grammatical forms, the vocabulary is scarce, reading and writing skills are not worked out - we are faced with a person with an Elementary level of knowledge.
- When a student is just starting to get acquainted with the language, he does not yet have a clear understanding of grammatical forms and knows just a few phrases - Beginner.
Often this classification refers exclusively to the English language.