ERIC Number: EJ1249779
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 6
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0148-432X
EISSN: N/A
If You Learn A, Will You Be Better Able to Learn B? Understanding Transfer of Learning
De Bruyckere, Pedro; Kirschner, Paul A.; Hulshof, Casper
American Educator, v44 n1 p30-34, 40 Spr 2020
This article is excerpted from "More Urban Myths about Learning and Education: Challenging Eduquacks, Extraordinary Claims, and Alternative Facts." The authors discuss some of the most often asked questions related to one basic principle in particular: "transfer of learning." Transfer of learning is seen as the use of knowledge, skills, and/or attitudes that one has learned in one situation in a different situation. This new situation can be either a similar situation (near transfer) or a dissimilar situation (far transfer). In this article, the authors investigate four popular examples of claims for far transfer, but in each case the results are disappointing. This is not to say that there is no evidence whatsoever for far transfer, but it is very clear that the level of reliable evidence decreases in relation to the quality of the research: the better the research, the scanter the evidence.
Descriptors: Transfer of Training, Personality Traits, Skill Development, Problem Solving, Games, Programming, Thinking Skills, Music, Latin, Second Language Learning, Academic Achievement, Creative Thinking, Success
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO. 555 New Jersey Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20001. Tel: 202-879-4420; e-mail: ae@aft.org; Web site: http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A