Learning happens through three classes of processes: "memory and fluency" strengthens knowledge, "induction and refinement" improves accuracy, and "understanding and sense-making" creates verbally mediated knowledge. Each needs different teaching methods.
After introducing different types of knowledge, the KLI framework then identifies three learning processes:
Memory and fluency enhance and accelerate knowledge. Each recall makes information more accessible. You might start by calculating 7 × 8, but soon you just know 56.
They also link knowledge into chunks. Learning to drive requires focus on each action, but practice makes steps automatic. Methods such as spacing (spreading practice) and testing (retrieving information) enhance retention across most knowledge types.
Induction and refinement improve accuracy through generalization and discrimination. A child learns "dog" covers many breeds (generalization) but not cats (discrimination).
This process often happens implicitly. You detect patterns without consciously noticing change. Helpful methods include timely feedback, worked examples, and fading (gradually removing support). These build precise, flexible knowledge.
Understanding and sense-making create knowledge through reasoning. When students explain ideas, they form deeper connections.
This transforms learning. You might catch a ball through practice, but physics adds insight. Strategies like self-explanation, accountable talk (structured discussion), and contrasting cases (comparing approaches) deepen conceptual understanding.
Each process supports different kinds of knowledge. Facts rely on memory, variables on induction, and principles on sense-making. Different methods fit different knowledge types.