Week 5 Reading Response by Tatum Teats

Transfer of Learning

tteats0024 — 2024-09-30 23:43:25 UTC

Transfer of learning is using what you’ve already learned—like knowledge, skills, or attitudes—and applying those in a new situation. Transfer involves applying knowledge in a new way, rather than just repeating how it was used before.

Six Key Terms

tteats0024 — 2024-09-30 23:47:07 UTC

There are six key terms to understand when it comes to transfer. These terms are-

Near transfer
Far Transfer
High road transfer
Low road transfer
General transfer
Specific transfer

Near vs. Far Transfer

tteats0024 — 2024-09-30 23:57:16 UTC

Near transfer occurs between closely related contexts. For example, if someone who already knows how to drive a car goes to drive a tractor, they will apply the knowledge they have from operating a vehicle to operating a tractor. The two contexts are very similar, making the knowledge easily transferable.

Far transfer occurs between contexts that have little similarity. For example, learning Latin will have a positive effect on logical thinking. The likelihood of far transfer is significantly less and is much more difficult to prove. Thorndike concluded that transfer is easier when there are more similarities between what has already been learned and what needs to be learned. Therefore, near transfer is generally much easier than far transfer.

High road transfer vs. Low road transfer

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 00:03:39 UTC

High road transfer is applying learned skills and knowledge to new situations through thoughtful connections and understanding. With high road transfer, one must make a mental effort to find a connection.

Low road transfer is using learned skills automatically in new situations that are very similar to the original context. There is not much thought process for the transfer of information.

General transfer vs. Specific transfer

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 00:12:40 UTC

General transfer refers to applying learned skills or knowledge to a wide range of different situations. For example, a student uses strategies they learned in a math class in a physics class. It uses similar critical thinking skills across different subjects.

Specific transfer involves using learned skills or knowledge in very similar or specific contexts. For example, someone who learns to play a song on the piano uses the same techniques to play a similar song in the same genre, since the two pieces share many similarities.

Popular studies & the findings

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 00:20:48 UTC

There are four popular examples for claims of far transfer. These examples include -

Learning how to play chess is key to developing general skills and has a crucial impact on character traits
Learning how to program a computer encourages problem solving thinking
Learning how to play music leads to higher cognitive processes
Learning Latin will help someone learn other languages easier

The results?

In each case, the results were disappointing. This doesn't mean there's no evidence for far transfer, but it's clear that the reliability of the evidence diminishes with the quality of the research: the better the research, the less evidence there seems to be.

Factors that influence transfer

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 01:32:13 UTC

There are two main factors that influence transfer -

Depth of initial learning:

Deeper understanding = higher likelihood of transfer

Similarity between concepts:

Similarity between old and new concepts leads to higher likelihood of transfer

Ways to promote transfer of learning

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 01:38:44 UTC

While there is no single technique that will guarantee transfer of learning, here are a few methods to consider:

Help students achieve initial learning
Practice transfer in class low stake, brief activities (apply new skill, discuss, then give feedback)

Provide hints or prompts
Expose students to concepts or procedures in multiple contexts
Make conditions of applicability explicit
Challenges students to think about the problem differently

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 01:42:17 UTC

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 01:43:31 UTC

Character Traits

tteats0024 — 2024-10-01 01:50:58 UTC

Creativity and memory are both character traits that cannot be taught or learned, and are very difficult to influence. Both can be trained and improved, but it is important to note that they are traits an individual is likely born with.