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How is knowing different from understanding?
What role does transfer play in differentiating the two?
Provide original examples of each.
Despite the two terms being used interchangeably, knowing and understanding are
distinct entities. According to Wiggins & McTight (2005), knowing has to do with facts and
verifiable truths, whereas understanding is more complex and has to do with the meaning and the
why’s of facts. Transfer is a term closely related to understanding and it involves using the
knowledge and skills possessed in creative and flexible ways, and applying them to novel
situations.
Nursing at the bedside is primarily task-based. Nurses know exactly what to do but not all
understand the reasons behind the interventions. For example, recently a hospital wide reeducation initiative took place at my hospital on blood culture collection. The initiative was the
result of many improper practices such as the failure of staff to provide two sets of blood cultures
for every patient who was undergoing the sepsis protocol and inadvertently contaminating
collected samples. When staff was questioned regarding current practice, most knew that two
sets had to be collected as part of the protocol but very few knew that the reason is to increase
the sampling yield and to help to rule out contamination. When it comes to contaminating the
samples, staff knew that re-touching the site after cleansing was an improper technique but many
did not understand why – they did not connect the re-touching with transfer of bacteria onto the
cleansed site. I believe understanding or transfer, it increases the chances of staff being
compliant with policies and protocols and overall improves their practice.
Reference
Wiggins, G., & McTight, J. (2005). Understanding by design (2nd ed.).
https://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/apollolib/reader.action?docID=3002118&ppg=47