1. EDU 330: Educational Psychology Daniel Moos, PhD
Transfer to Learning
EDU 330: Educational Psychology
Daniel Moos, PhD

2. You are a well decorated army general
You are a well decorated army general. It is your goal to destroy a tank in the middle of a small village. You will need the collective firepower of all your army to destroy the general. Many roads lead to the tank, but land mines lurk below their surface. Small number of soldiers can travel safely on the roads, but a large force will detonate the mines. How might you solve this problem so that all of your army can safely get to the middle of the small village to destroy the evil general?

4. In addition to a well decorated general, you are also a world-famous doctor. One of your patients has a malignant tumor on his heart. Your best option is to use radiation lasers to destroy the tumor. You will need to use high-intensity gamma ray lasers to completely remove it. However, this high-intensity laser will also kill the healthy tissue around the heart. At lower intensities, the gamma rays are harmless to healthy tissue, but they will not individually destroy the tumor either. How might you use the gamma rays to destroy the tumor without killing the healthy tissue?

5. Transfer

6. Situated Cognition & Education (Anderson et al. 1996)
“Situated learning” and role of context
Knowledge tied to the context to which it is learned
Example: State months of year…
Example: State months of year, alphabetically
What do novices and experts see?
Experts’ knowledge also tied to their context…impossible checkmate…difficult to remember?

7. Transfer of Learning
Under what conditions do students transfer learning?
Theory of Identical Elements: transfer depends on the perceived number of identical elements that two tasks share (Thorndike & Woodworth, 1901)
Original problem: Angie has 2 pieces of candy. Dan gives her 3 more pieces of candy. How many pieces does Angie have now?
Which one would be more difficult for students? Why?
Bruce has 3 pencils. Orlando gives him 2 more pencils. How many pencils does Bruce have now?
Sophie has 3 cookies. Daniel has 4 cookies. How many cookies do they have together? 8

8. Types of Transfer Positive Transfer Negative Transfer Zero Transfer
 A situation in which prior learning aids subsequent learning
Negative Transfer
A situation in which prior learning interferes with subsequent learning
Example: As quickly as you can find the answer to this problem: 60 ÷ 0.50
Prior learning: division usually leads to a smaller number
Zero Transfer
 A situation in which prior learning has no effect on new learning

9. Types of Transfer Specific Transfer General Transfer
 Situation in which prior learning aids subsequent learning because of specific similarities between two tasks
General Transfer
 Situation in which prior learning aids subsequent learning due to the use of similar cognitive strategies

10. Types of Transfer French Spanish un uno deux dos trois tres
quatre cuatro
cinq cinco
six seis
sept siete
huit ocho
nuef nueve
dix diez
Initial Task Learning Task
Group 1 French Spanish
Group 2 Chinese Spanish
Group 3 None Spanish
Possible Outcomes:
1 > 2 = 3
Specific
1 = 2 > 3
General

11. Types of Transfer Near Transfer Far Transfer Knowledge domains similar
Contexts basically the same
Elapsed time between tasks relatively short
Far Transfer
Knowledge domains and settings are perceived to be dissimilar
Elapsed time between tasks relatively long
Applying math skills over the course of a unit to solve “new” problems on the unit test
Applying math skills over the course of a unit years later to determine investment options

12. Teaching Transfer: Summary
Mismatch between school and real world situations
Instruction must be done in complex, social environments that reflect real world
Students need assistance in identifying “matching elements” to facilitate transfer
Consider different types of transfer: Positive/Negative; Specific/General; Near/Far 9

13. Teaching Transfer: Implications
Multiple opportunities for varied practices
Solve problems that are similar to those they will eventually have to solve
Teach students how to formulate general rules, strategies, or schemes (“heuristics”). for a variety of tasks
What should I do if I have a question?
How should I study for a test?
How should I research for a paper?
Provide cues that will allow them to connect to prior knowledge within AND across classes
How is what we are learning today similar to yesterday’s topic? To another class? 9