Making connections: Learning starts with what you already know

Categorised: Pedagogy
Posted by Stuart Pedley-Smith. Last updated: August 26, 2025

Stuart Pedley-Smith explores whether Ausubel’s claims about meaningful learning remain relevant today.

A version of this article was first published in Pedleysmiths Blog on 30 April 2025.

*The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows*.

Have you ever stopped to think about what you already know?

It’s not something we tend to do every day, but it’s a surprisingly powerful technique, especially when you’ve made a mistake and feel like you’ve learned nothing. In moments like these, recognising what you already know can be both grounding and motivating. Rather than starting from scratch, you’re building on a foundation that already exists.

And it is on this principle of foundational knowledge that the educational psychologist David Ausubel Wikipedia (2005) David Ausubel Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. developed one of the most important theories in learning. He said that making connections between new ideas and prior knowledge helps us learn more deeply and retain information for longer. He referred to this as meaningful learning.

The most important single factor influencing learning is what the learner already knows. Ascertain this and teach accordingly.
David Ausubel

Ausubel’s meaningful learning

Ausubel’s meaningful learning offers a stark contrast to rote learning, primarily because it aligns more effectively with how our brains naturally process and retain information. Instead of treating the mind as a passive storage unit, merely accepting and holding isolated facts, meaningful learning actively engages the learner’s existing cognitive structure. While rote learning might achieve short-term recall, it fosters a superficial understanding devoid of context or connection to existing knowledge. This isolation makes the newly “learned” information fragile and easily forgotten.

But if making connections is the objective, how is this best achieved?

Anchoring new information

When you come across new information it needs to be anchored to a relevant and stable concept that already exists. The stronger and more clearly defined this anchor is, the more effectively the new information can be integrated and retained. For example, imagine you understand what a mammal is, and are introduced to new information about a “dolphin,” if you can appreciate that despite living in the water, the dolphin shares many core characteristics with mammals the connection can be built.

Developing context (Advance organisers)

When you’re learning something completely new, it’s possible you don’t have a solid enough understanding of the subject on which to anchor the new information. To solve this, it’s a good idea to have a general outline or some background information as a way of introducing the subject. This can help provide the new information with something it can be anchored to.

For example, before talking about the concept of supply and demand, ask students to think about something they might like to buy, perhaps training shoes, and why the price might be so high. Follow that up by adding “today we are going to see that it’s a function of how many units of the product the company is willing to make at a given price, compared to how much the consumer is willing to pay.”

This simple introduction provides the student with sufficient “prior knowledge” to connect the new information. Note that the training shoes example is practical, tangible and relatable.

Impact of AI

It is not, of course, possible for me to write a blog without referencing AI, and there are some interesting ways in which Ausubel’s theory could become more effective, for example:

Analysing prior knowledge (personalisation) – It could be used to assess students’ prior knowledge and generate highly tailored “advance organisers”. Instead of a generic introduction, AI could create summaries, analogies, or concept maps designed to connect with the student’s prior knowledge.
Intelligent tutoring – AI tutors can engage students in conversations that encourage them to explicitly connect new information to their existing knowledge. By asking probing questions and providing feedback, AI can guide students through the process of meaningful integration.
Identifying knowledge gaps – AI can analyse student responses and identify specific gaps in their prior knowledge that might hinder their ability to link the new information.
Dynamic concept and mind mapping – AI tools can help students create and visualise maps that explicitly show the relationships between new and existing knowledge.

Implications for students

This is all very interesting, but what does it mean if you are studying?

Reflect, think back – Before diving into something new, take a moment to think about what you already know that might be related. Even a little connection can make a big difference.
Ask “how does this fit?” – As you learn new things, constantly ask yourself how this new information connects to what you already understand.
Look for similarities and differences – How is this new idea like something you’ve learned before?
Pay attention to introductions – When your instructor gives you an overview or a summary before starting a new topic, pay close attention! These “advance organisers” are like maps that show you where you’re going and how the new content fits into the bigger picture.
Use mind maps or concept maps – Often, it’s helpful to understand the main ideas first and how each one relates to the other.

The teacher–facilitator of connection

The educator’s role will shift from “sage on the stage” to “guide on the side.” They should become facilitators of connection, helping learners build bridges between new and existing knowledge. In this new role, educators do not just guide students toward knowledge; they inspire them to see the interconnectedness of ideas and the possibility of shaping their own paths of understanding.

Research update

In Ausubel’s meaningful learning re-visited, Bryce & Blown (2024) Bryce, T.G.K., Blown, E.J. (2024) Ausubel’s meaningful learning re-visited. Current Psychology uphold the core idea that what a learner already knows remains a key principle, but they provide additional evidence from cognition and neuroscience research to show that memory is dynamic and not just like retrieving fixed recordings.

About Stuart Pedley-Smith

With over 30 years in professional education, Stuart is an educational strategist focussed on innovation, specialising in digital learning and evidence-based practice. After serving as Head of Learning at Kaplan Financial (UK), his focus has expanded to tackle some of the broader challenges in professional education.

He is the author/co-author of two books and a regular blogger (pedley-smith.uk).

Part of the Pedagogy series

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