We cannot manage knowledge

Education often mistakes knowledge for information, reducing learning to the storage and recall of facts. Students are tested on their ability to recall information, not on their depth of understanding. However, memorization is not the same as knowledge. Learning is a process of transformation, not just accumulation. To make sense of the world, students must move beyond collecting data and information to constructing knowledge. True innovation happens only when they take what they know and use it to create new meaning and value. Understanding these distinctions reveals a core flaw in education. Schools excel at managing information, but they cannot manage knowledge without reducing it back into information.

From Manifesto 25:

Knowledge is constructed from meaning, not management. When we talk about knowledge and innovation, we frequently commingle or confuse the concepts with data and information instead. Too often, we fool ourselves into thinking that we give learners “knowledge” when we are just testing them for the rote recall of information. To be clear: Data are bits and pieces here and there, from which we combine into information. Knowledge is about taking information and creating meaning at a personal level. We innovate when we take action with what we know to create new value. Understanding this difference exposes one of the greatest problems facing school management and teaching: While we are good at managing information, we simply cannot manage the knowledge in students’ heads without degrading it back to information.

Breaking this down further:

1. Data consists of raw facts, numbers, and details that, on their own, lack meaning. A student can see historical dates, scientific measurements, or mathematical figures, but without context, these pieces remain disconnected. Schools often bombard students with data, assuming exposure alone leads to understanding. But data is only a starting point. Without a framework for interpretation, it is just noise. Memorizing statistics about climate change does not mean grasping its causes or consequences.
2. Information is created when data is structured and organized. It provides context and patterns, helping learners connect facts. A timeline of historical events or a graph showing temperature trends turns scattered data into something understandable. Schools operate mostly at this level, delivering structured content through textbooks, lectures, and assessments. But information remains static until it is personally engaged with. Understanding does not come from receiving information but from actively working with it: questioning, applying, and reshaping information to make sense.
3. Knowledge emerges when individuals internalize information and attach meaning to it. Unlike data or information, it cannot be passively received; it must be actively constructed. A student may memorize the formula for acceleration, but until they apply it to solve a real-world problem, they have not gained knowledge. The same applies to history, literature, and every other subject. Facts alone do not create understanding. Knowledge requires engagement, personal interpretation, and the ability to apply ideas in different contexts. This is where education often fails. Schools can manage information by delivering lessons and grading tests, but they cannot control how or whether students turn information into knowledge.
4. Innovation occurs when knowledge is applied to generate new ideas, solve problems, and create value. It is the application of understanding in new ways. It cannot be standardized, scripted, or mass-produced. Innovation is unpredictable, emerging from curiosity, experimentation, and synthesis. A student who deeply understands a concept is not limited to repeating it. They can adapt it, question it, and use it to drive new discoveries. Schools often claim to promote innovation, but rigid structures that prioritize compliance and repetition over creativity stifle this potential. Real innovation requires an environment where learners are free to explore, take risks, and push beyond existing knowledge.

Schools organize and deliver information efficiently, yet they cannot control how students internalize it. Knowledge is personal and develops through experience, reflection, and engagement. When education tries to standardize knowledge, it strips away meaning and reduces learning to the recall of information. Tests can measure what students remember, but they cannot capture how well they understand, apply, or create new ideas. The more schools attempt to fit knowledge into predefined structures, the more they turn it into information that can be categorized, tested, and managed. Standardized assessments prioritize memorization and compliance over curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking. They measure institutional efficiency, not genuine understanding.

This is for the benefit of the school, but says nothing of what students actually know.

To foster knowledge creation and innovation, schools must rethink how learning happens. Instead of treating students as passive recipients of content, education should encourage exploration, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary thinking. This requires shifting from rigid instruction to dynamic learning environments where students actively construct meaning.

Schools should prioritize inquiry-based learning that values questions as much as answers. When students solve real problems instead of memorizing facts, they engage with knowledge in a more meaningful way. Open-ended exploration, discussion, and learning through mistakes help them refine their understanding rather than absorb fixed conclusions.

Assessment should move beyond standardized testing to focus on how students apply their knowledge. Project-based evaluations, portfolios, and presentations allow students to use information in novel ways and demonstrate deeper understanding. Learning is not about accumulating facts but about making connections and generating ideas. (See the related post, Don’t value what we measure; measure what we value.)

Collaboration should take precedence over competition. Knowledge grows through dialogue, iteration, and the exchange of perspectives. Schools should encourage collaborative learning environments where students challenge ideas, refine their thinking, and develop solutions together. Cross-disciplinary projects, peer feedback, and partnerships with universities and industry expand learning beyond rote absorption into active knowledge creation.

Education is a process, not a product. A product is designed for consistency, quality control, and uniformity in its final form. It follows a blueprint with predefined specifications, ensuring that each iteration closely resembles the last. But learning does not work this way. Knowledge cannot be mass-produced, and understanding cannot be standardized without stripping away its depth and significance. Every learner engages with information in a unique way, bringing their own experiences, interpretations, and questions to the process. When education is treated as a fixed product, students are expected to arrive at the same conclusions in the same way, leaving little room for creativity, discovery, or independent thought.

A process, by contrast, embraces unpredictability and transformation. It values exploration, allowing for outcomes that cannot always be anticipated or measured. Authentic learning does not follow a linear path from instruction to mastery. It is shaped by experimentation, curiosity, and the connections students make along the way. This openness to the unknown is what allows for the emergence of new knowledge and innovation. If education is to move beyond rote instruction, it must cultivate environments where students are not just consumers of information but active participants in meaning-making. When learning is seen as a dynamic and evolving process, students are free to engage with ideas in ways that lead to breakthroughs, new perspectives, and creative solutions that no curriculum could have predicted.

Knowledge-building is a process that is attended to, not managed. Innovation thrives when students have the freedom to pursue their interests and explore ideas without rigid constraints. Allowing them to design their own projects, conduct self-directed research, and integrate multiple disciplines into their learning helps them develop knowledge instead of merely receiving information.

Shifting from information management to knowledge creation requires a fundamental change in education. Schools must prioritize thinking over testing, inquiry over instruction, and creativity over compliance. They must redefine success, not by how much a student can recall, but by what they can do with what they know. Educators should foster environments where knowledge can grow, not control it. Only then can schools move beyond managing information and fulfill the true purpose of learning: creating knowledge and driving innovation.

Read and sign Manifesto 25 at https://manifesto25.org