Knowledge in pieces

Knowledge in Pieces (KiP) is a distinctive epistemological perspective on conceptual change, employing a “modeling” approach. Its theory consists mainly of several detailed and empirically consequential models of different kinds of knowledge, including both intuitive “preconceptions” and normative knowledge. This chapter offers a brief introduction to KiP centering on two core models, illustrating how they enfold multiple time-scales-from details of real-time learning to multi-year accomplishments-and how they accommodate empirically salient diversity in the way different students learn.