Creamy Versus Chunky

Creamy Versus Chunky

What does this metaphor of creamy vs chunky content mean to you ? What makes content "creamier" or "chunkier"?  When might it be better for content to be creamy and when would it be better to have a more chunky structure? How does this varying structure of content relate to learners' attention spans?  We will reconsider this idea at the end of the course, to compare how (and if) our takes on it have changed.

The metaphor of creamy vs chunky refers to the change in the ‘texture’ of instructional content.  In traditional education systems, instructional design was composed of a lot of textbook learning in which students read and worked through the books (and sometimes accompanying workbooks, worksheets, etc.) in a linear ‘creamy’ consistency that was smooth.  The new era of education, in which instructional design is more put together by different pieces including digital resources, is viewed as ‘chunky’ as it is little bits put together. 

I like my sandwiches creamy…but in the classroom I am chunky all of the way!  There are many reasons that I feel chunky is better.  First, textbooks are expensive and in my opinion often outdated before they even hit the printer press.  Creating your own instruction allows for you to update the pieces as they change. Second, using technology in the classroom even in the smallest of ways introduces students to the real world.  Today employers do not spend a lot of time on training as they did in the past.  The expectation is that people come to the table with a basic knowledge of technology and how to use it, or at the very least know how to use a search engine to figure it out for themselves.  The entire world is moving to technology, just look at the fact that you can catch a check from a picture.  Lastly, I truly feel that technology will be key in creating differentiated instruction.  I am a big proponent of “Any Time, Any Pace, Any Where, Any Pace” Learning and feel that chunky learning will be key to this.

I struggle with the concept of when creamy might be better if we are referring to the old instruction methods of rote learning and busy work.  If we are thinking about creamy in the aspect of a common core then I support it.  I do not think that all people learn the same and therefore a chunky instruction method allows for different teaching strategies.  In regards to attention span, I actually think that a hands-on chunky approach is more engaging to a student that a creamy method.  I know that some argue that we are overloading our students, but just because you do something chunky, does not mean that it can’t be done well and be engaging to students.  It does not mean that it is cobbled together, but actually handcrafted to be the best.  I do think that students need a basic understanding of knowledge that could be considered creamy.  But, how they gain that knowledge I think should be done in a chunky format.  Nothing in the world is creamy anymore and if we are preparing students for the real world, we can’t ignore this fact.