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The Synthesis Prism : Question Expert Knowns
Updated: Oct 2
The Synthesis Prism answers the call in Silence Science to rebalance the culture of learning that privileges expert evidence while daring learners to pick at the edges of the unknown.
Learning unfolds along a prism of increasing learner agency and intellectual challenge. Classrooms that begin with close, instructor-directed problem-based learning can evolve into open-ended, student-led explorations rooted in local culture and place.
As learners move through this continuum, they encounter deeper levels of autonomy, complexity, and authenticity. To support this progression, educators can frame learning around intentional prismatic lenses that differentiate how learners engage with ideas and develop meaning.
These prisms are not rigid sequences but dynamic tools for adjusting the level and type of innovation.
The Synthesis Prism focuses on how learners deepen understanding by stretching the limits of what they know, what is known, and what can be discovered. This model aligns closely with the ideas presented in Silence Science, which challenges the overemphasis on evidence alone and invites learners to explore the boundaries of epistemology itself. (Silence Science: How Evidence is Overemphasized)
The Synthesis Prism allows learners to deepen their inquiry by navigating the boundaries of their understanding and incorporating external research. This process echoes Piaget’s theories of assimilation and accommodation, as learners adjust their schemas to include complex, nuanced ideas and develop a sophisticated understanding of their topic.
Learners often start by identifying their personal gaps in knowledge, using resources that build foundational understanding. This might involve exploring basic concepts and limitations related to their topic.
Further on The Synthesis Prism, learners integrate public scholarship by accessing and adding to research data, case studies, and peer-reviewed articles that expand their knowledge base. This addresses the ignorance and gaps the public understanding of the concepts. Towards the end of this prism, learners engage with and invent complex tools and investigations, gaining insights from cutting-edge research to stretch the research boundaries of what is known.
Learners confront the limits of human understanding, addressing partially unresolved questions and inventing advanced research methodologies.
Consider the problem of pollution, learners start their research by identifying what they already know and what they want to know by examining their school’s recycling practices and identifying personal knowledge gaps regarding pollution.
They then review public resources, such as environmental studies or municipal pollution data, gaining a deeper understanding of the pollution sources and constraints within their local environment to define their own approach.
To push the boundaries of existing knowledge, learners start investigating complex global pollution data or reading scientific papers on innovative solutions. This helps them see where knowledge still lacks or debates persist in environmental science.
Learn more about the upcoming guide by Nicholas Linke: Prisms of Inquiry
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