Teaching Beyond Telling: The Pedagogical Lessons of a Recipe Video

Author: Wan Mohd Aimran Wan Mohd Kamil | 19th March 2025

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Every Ramadan, Khairul Aming shares a daily recipe video for iftar and sahur, a much-anticipated tradition among his followers. This year, however, a minor controversy arose when some younger viewers struggled to reproduce the dishes (https://shorturl.at/hZDLY). Since the recipes were sound, some concluded that this revealed a deeper issue—an innate inability of the younger generation to follow direct instructions.

This incident, I believe, ties into broader concerns voiced by educators about the "un-teachability" of today’s students. More importantly, it provides an opportunity to reflect on the complexities of teaching novices and the limits of passive learning. It also serves as a reminder that while AI continues to infiltrate education, students cannot offload all cognitive effort onto machines—AI won’t cook the meal for them. The reliance on AI tools in education, while valuable, risks diminishing fundamental skills such as following instructions, problem-solving, and adapting to challenges in real-world settings.

The failure to follow Khairul Aming’s recipes raises key pedagogical questions:

First, who was the intended audience? Were the videos meant for absolute beginners or viewers with prior cooking experience? A mismatch between audience expectations and instructional design can lead to failure. A novice may need more detailed breakdowns of steps, while an experienced cook can intuitively fill in the gaps.

Second, what were the expected outcomes? Were viewers supposed to reproduce the dishes exactly as demonstrated, or were the videos meant as inspiration for improvisation? Clarity in learning objectives matters in any instructional setting. If the goal was to educate beginners, then additional guidance on techniques, timing, and substitutions would have been necessary.

Third, what prerequisite knowledge and skills were assumed? Even a simple cooking tutorial assumes familiarity with tools, measurements, and techniques. Without this foundation, direct instruction can fall flat. The implicit knowledge embedded in a recipe video—how to chop ingredients efficiently, control heat, or assess doneness—often goes unnoticed until a novice struggles to execute it.

Fourth, what types of knowledge were embedded in the videos? There is a crucial distinction between "know-what" (e.g., ingredients) and "know-how" (e.g., folding egg whites). Teaching methods must align with the type of knowledge being conveyed. Cooking requires both declarative knowledge (knowing the steps) and procedural knowledge (knowing how to execute them effectively). The difference between merely watching a recipe video and actually succeeding in cooking lies in this gap between passive understanding and active skill-building.

Finally, is watching a video the most effective way to teach cooking? Explicit direct instruction has been criticized in favor of discovery-based learning. Yet, when learners lack foundational knowledge, structured guidance—when scaffolded properly—can build both skill and confidence. Once the basics are mastered, other methods can take over. The tendency to dismiss direct instruction as "spoon-feeding" overlooks its essential role in early skill acquisition. A well-designed instructional sequence transitions from explicit guidance to independent exploration.

I am reminded of the "Fold in the Cheese" scene from Schitt’s Creek (Fold In The Cheese! | Schitt's Creek | Netflix), where one character struggles to follow vague cooking instructions. This clip humorously illustrates a truth many teachers overlook: simply telling is not the same as teaching. Showing and expecting comprehension isn’t enough—learners need opportunities to practice, make mistakes, and receive feedback.

Rather than dismissing the younger generation as hopelessly unteachable, this moment invites us to examine how we teach and how we assume learning happens. Learning is not merely about exposure—it requires structured engagement, reflection, and adaptation. After all, knowledge is not merely transmitted—it must be cultivated. In both the kitchen and the classroom, effective learning happens not just by watching, but by doing.

To continue the conversation, we might ask: How do we balance direct instruction and discovery-based learning when teaching novices? What misconceptions do teachers have about how students learn? How has the rise of AI and digital tools influenced our ability (or willingness) to develop practical skills? In what ways do cultural expectations shape our perceptions of learning difficulties? And finally, how can educators and content creators design better instructional materials to support different types of learners? These questions can help us rethink how we teach and, ultimately, how we learn.