1. Curriculum Design
CPD Pack
Knowledge Organisers

2. This issue of Impact is edited by Michael Young and focuses on the curriculum: theories, principles and approaches to curriculum design as well as planning, lessons and learning.
The materials that follow are related to the article:
Organising knowledge: The purpose and pedagogy of knowledge organisers
Written by Mark Miller, Head of Bradford Research School at Dixons Academies

3. Session aims
1. Know what knowledge organisers are and how they relate to educational theory.
2. Consider whether knowledge organisers would be a useful tool in your setting.
3. Have the opportunity to create a knowledge organiser.

4. What is a knowledge organiser?
Discuss with colleagues, then use the pack provided to explore this further.

5. Read the article ‘Organising knowledge: The purpose and pedagogy of knowledge organisers’ by Mark Miller
Consider:
Is there anything in the article which you found particularly interesting?
Did you learn anything new?
Was there anything in the article that you disagreed with?
Do you find the case for using knowledge organisers convincing?

6. What is the evidence?
Explore some of the evidence in support of knowledge organisers
Is this evidence reliable?
Are you convinced by the evidence?
How do knowledge organisers relate to cognitive science, e.g. research on cognitive load and retrieval practice?
What are teachers’ experiences of using knowledge organisers? Look at case studies.

7. Criticisms Do knowledge organisers encourage cramming?
What are some of the key criticisms of knowledge organisers?
Are these criticisms based on evidence?
What are your thoughts having explored both sides of the debate?
Do knowledge organisers encourage cramming?
Do they encourage over-reliance?
Are they dull/uninspiring?
Is choosing which/whose knowledge to include a politicised decision?

8. Questions to consider:
Should knowledge organisers be available to students at all times e.g. when completing a piece of non-fiction writing about a topic? Does this free up cognitive load for students or make them over-reliant?
How can knowledge organisers be used most effectively according to cognitive science? (Link to retrieval practice, schemas, cognitive load)
Are knowledge organisers useful to staff as well as students - how can staff use them?
Should knowledge organisers be shared with parents? What are the benefits/challenges of doing this?

9. In year group/subject department teams...
Choose a particular unit/topic and age group - What would a knowledge organiser look like in this context?
What is the key knowledge you would want to include?
Which headings/categories would you use?
How can you word the statements so that they are as clear and accessible as possible?
How do you want the information to be presented on the page?
How will adults and students use this knowledge organiser?

10. Further reading Research Papers:
Loewenberg Ball, D., Thames, M.H. and Phelps, G Content knowledge for teaching: What makes it special?. Journal of teacher education, 59(5), pp
Available online at:
Young, M. and Muller, J., On the powers of powerful knowledge. Review of Education, 1(3),
pp Available online at:
Young, M. (2012) The curriculum: ‘An entitlement to powerful knowledge’: A response to John White. Available online at:

11. Blogs and online articles about knowledge organisers, powerful knowledge and knowledge rich curricula:
(using knowledge organisers with an ESOL class)
Videos: