The important thing is not just knowing what something is; the important bit is knowing why something is the way it is and how it works and why it matters. It’s about being thoughtful and disciplined in your learning so you can think about what you know and in a meaningful and original way (1).

This excerpt, from a widely-circulated essay entitled “What Professors Expect From You,” highlights the supposed difference between a fact-and-skills-based high school education and the deeper, more inferential challenges of the university. Spot on in capturing what deeper learning should look like, the tract has no doubt inspired a few precocious students, while perhaps terrifying a handful of others.