TRANSFER OF LEARNING

Transfer of learning is one of the most important ideas in teaching and

learning. As a teacher, you want your students to learn to make effective future use of
what you are teaching. The quote from Bransford tells us that we can teach in a manner
that increases transfer of learning.
“Every student can benefit by learning in a manner that supports integrating
their new knowledge and skills into their current knowledge and skills. We want to help
prepare student to make effective use of this expanded and integrated capability in
dealing with problems, tasks, and decision-making they will encounter in the future.”
Definition:
Transfer of Learning consists of two words:

TRANSFER LEARNING TRANSFER OF LEARNING

-An act of moving -An act of gaining -A process in which

something or some knowledge, skill by something is learnt
to another place. experience, study, in one situation is
being taught or creative. used in another
situation.
It occurs when the learner:
 Recognizes common features among concepts, skills or principles.
 Links the information in memory.
 Sees the value of utilizing what was learned one situation in another.

 Crow and Crow:

“The carry-over of habit of thinking, feeling or working of knowledge or of skills from

one learning area to another is usually referred to as transfer of learning.”

 Peterson:

“Transfer of learning is generalization, for it is extension of idea to a new field.”

 Guthrie and Powers:

“Transfer of learning may be defined as a process of extending and applying behavior.”

Importance of Transfer of Learning
Transfer of learning plays a very important role in our day to day life. It is rare
that the situation in which we learn is identical to the situation in which we apply and
use that learning. Education is preparation of life. Whatever we learnt in the school, we
are expected to apply that same in life.

Examples:
 We learnt math in the classroom and apply it while shopping or buying
things.
 You mastered tying brown, cotton shoelaces. Then you got new shoes. The
new shoes were a little bigger, and they had white, nylon shoe laces. The
chances are that you had no trouble in transferring your shoe-tying skills to
the new larger shoes with the different shoelaces.
 A sportsman playing football plays volley-ball as nicely
 Learning to drive a car helps a person to later drive a truck
 Trampoline skills for the high diver

 If there were no transfer, students would need to be taught every act that they
would ever perform in any situation.
 All new learning involves transfer based on previous learning (Bransford).
 If we did not transfer some of our prior knowledge, then each new learning
situation would start from scratch.

 Assumption of education: what is taught in a course will be used in relevant

situations in other courses, in the workplace and out of school.

Always remember!

It is the fundamental goal of education: to make the skills and information

students acquire in the classroom helpful to them outside the classroom.

Theories of Transfer of Learning

1. Theory of Mental Discipline

It is also known as Faculty Theory.

This theory came to existence in 20th century. It is philosophical in nature. Mind is

the central position which is composed of several facilities. These faculties are to be
trained through muscular and physical training.
 These trainings are in the field of classics, field of logic, field of grammar, science and
mathematics.

It assumes that those training can make an individual effective in all area where the
given faculty is employed.

It is known that bright students learn better than that of slow learners because
memorization is faster in length students where as slow in slow learner.

It tells that education is a matter of training in the mind or disciplining the mind.

2. Theory of Identical Elements

E.L. Thorndike has developed this theory. It goes from one learning situation to
other situation. It states that the transfer of learning is facilitated in the second situation
into the extent that it contains identical elements or factors which occurred in the
learning situation earlier.

Identical elements may be in the form of:

 Principles
 Method
 Attitude present in both situation
 Concept

Transfer takes place to the extent that the original task is similar to the transfer
task. It depends on how many “elements” the two tasks have in common.

For example, taking a high school course in geometry may help you later in life if
you become a surveyor or navigator, but it won’t help you if you become a lawyer.
You won’t strengthen a general ability to think logically by taking geometry.

Other examples:
 Identities of procedure → Total result
 Piano → Typing/Computer
 Sanskrit → Hindi
 Latin → English
 Car Driving Bus Driving

3. Theory of Generalization

This theory is developed by Charles Judd. In this theory transfer of learning takes
place primarily through generalization and degree of transfer depends upon the extent
to which experiences in the first situation are understood and consolidated into
generalization.

It is another way of relating experience in which what is gained at a certain point

will redound to the advantage of the individual in the many spheres of his or her
thought as well as in his or her actions.

It means that experiences obtained in one situation are applicable to other situation.

(Better transfer can be possible when one can understand the principle. It is just an
extension of the theory of identical elements.)

According to him, there are two levels or two kinds of knowledge –

 Wrote learning or memorization without any meaning
 Generalized knowledge but with many intellectual associations

4. Theory of Transposition/Configuration

It is advocated by Gestalt Theory of learning. Transfer starts in understanding the

fact and perception of similarity by the learner. It is known as pattern of relationship. It
is not the specific skills or facts or even underlying principles which are important, but
the understanding of relationship between facts, process and the principles are the real
basis of transfer.

It states that the transfer of learning can be best achieve when an individual is in the
very best of the frame of mind; in the times that he or she is aware of the meanings of a
particular situation or experiences and to their practical application to one’s daily life.

Transfer implies that what is learned in one situation can be shifted directly to
another situation when similarity (in content, method, or attitude) of the two situations
is perceived by the learner.

It means that the transfer of acquired patterns of response to a new situation

depends upon the insight of the learner into the total situation to enable him to use
those patterns.

5. Theory of Ideals

It was propounded by W.C. Bagley. He believed that ideals are deeper than
generalization. Ideas like honesty, truthfulness, love etc. can be transferred in this
theory.

If a child is brought up to practice fair play and to accept it as a proper way of

behavior, it is likely that the child may display it in all dealings in adult life.
 Types of Transfer

On the basis of magnitude or quality, it is of three types - positive, zero and negative.

 Positive Transfer
- Occurs when learning in one context improves performance in some other
context.

Examples:
 Learning mathematics help a student to study physics.
 Knowledge and principles in psychology are used in caring and bringing up
children, understanding and managing students’ behavior in school or in
classroom

 Zero Transfer
- The learning of one subject has no effect to the learning of another.
- No change

Examples:
 There may be zero transfer between language and mathematics.
 Knowledge of history in no way affects learning of driving a car or a scooter.

 Negative Transfer
- Happens when a previous learning hinders the acquisition of a new learning.
- Learning of one task makes the learning of a second task harder.
- The negative transfer is also called habit interferences.

Examples:
 Learning one language (French) may confuse pronunciation of English words
previously learned; it may be that they spell the same but with different
pronunciation.
 It may also cause the meaning or the use of the previous language to be
forgotten due to learning of the new language or vice-versa.
 A tennis player, when playing badminton, may not be able to generate the
power needed to hit the shuttlecock effectively because they are used to play
with a firm wrist rather than a flexible wrist.

 One form of positive transfer is bilateral transfer or cross-transfer. It this

involves the transfer of learning from one limb to another, rather than from skill
to skill. Often kinesthetic awareness from the dominant limb can improve
performance.
 Examples:
 Practice in using right hand while handling a machine in the factory may help
handling by the left hand.
 A games player who can use both feet and hands will have a distinct
advantage over one who can only use their dominant limb.

Transfer of Learning can also be classified as:

 Near Transfer or Specific Transfer

- Refers to transfer between very similar contexts.
- Overlap between situations, original and transfer contexts are similar

Examples:
 When a mechanic repairs an engine in a new model of car, but with a design
similar to prior models.
 When you use an upgraded version of mobile phones.

 Far Transfer or General Transfer

- Refers to transfer between context that, on appearance, seems remote and alien
on one another.
- Far transfer tasks involve skills and knowledge being applied in situations that
change and the application of the skill is executed differently depending on the
situation.
- Little overlap between situations, original and transfer settings are dissimilar.

In Far transfer, the learner adapts their actions based on their judgment of the
situation.

Examples:
 A chess player may apply basic strategies to investment practices or politics.
 A student applies what he has learned in trigonometry class while doing a
practicum in an architect’s firm.

 We would have to ‘learn’ to open a door every time we encountered a different

design of door. That is Near Transfer.

 And this brings us to the idea that sometimes the application context and
application behavior is different enough that near transfer does not work.

 Imagine every tap you have seen and used has a knob to turn, and then you
encounter for the first time a tap with a push button. What do you do?
  Imagine every door has a lever handle or a knob to turn, and you encounter a
door with neither. Instead it has a push button on the wall beside the door. What
do you do? We must learn to expand our skill to include a wider range of
contexts, and in doing so, create some higher-level ideas in our mind that will
enable us to solve problems that are even further away from what we first
learned.

 Low-road Transfer
- It occurs when previous learning automatically, often unconsciously transfers to
another situation.
- Transfer of well-established skills in almost automatic fashion.
- Involves the triggering of routines by stimulus conditions similar to those in
the learning context.
- Reflexive transfer

Example:
 When a competent reader encounters new sentences in their native language,
they read them automatically.

 High-road Transfer
- It occurs when individuals consciously establish connections between what
they have learned in a previous situation and the new situation.
- Transfer involves abstraction so conscious formulations of connections
between contexts.
- Involves deliberate effortful abstraction and a search for connections.
- Mindful transfer

Example:
 You have learned about classical conditioning in class. When you want to
condition a desirable behavior on your students, you follow the steps involve
in classical conditioning to shape the behavior.

Positive What is learned in one context enhances learning in a different setting.

Zero No change.
Negative What is learned in one context hinders or delays learning in a different
setting
Bilateral Transfer of learning from limb to limb
Near Overlap between situations, original and transfer contexts are similar.
Far Little overlap between situations, original and transfer settings are
dissimilar.
Low road Transfer of well-established skills in almost automatic fashion.
High road Involves deliberate effortful abstraction and a search for connections.
Factors that affect the Transfer of Learning

Motivation

Of all of the factors that can affect how people learn, motivation might be the
most important. Someone who is motivated to learn a particular task or bit of
information generally succeeds, even if she has to work long and hard to do so. When
teaching a concept, always consider how the material is relevant to your students' lives,
because when individuals see the reason for learning, their motivation increases.
Provide feedback on students' learning to help them maintain their motivation.

Encourage positive attitude towards subject matter.

Intellectual Ability

Intellectual ability also affects learning. For example, some people have easier
time remembering information than others. Some students can readily understand
abstract concepts, while others need concrete examples. Everyone has different
intellectual strengths and weaknesses. Once you get to know your students, you can
help them understand the information you want to get across by teaching to their
strengths.

Attention Spans

Attention spans vary among both children and adults. Some people simply prefer
to be on the go and have difficulty attending to a lecture or task for any length of time.
Since the most popular method of teaching requires students to listen and read, often
while sitting still, students who have a short attention span might have difficulty
learning. You can help these students by incorporating hands-on activities into your
lesson plans, allowing for frequent short breaks and breaking large blocks of
information into smaller chunks. Keep in mind that students who are experiencing
upheaval in their lives may temporarily suffer from shortened attention spans.

Prior Knowledge

A student could have the highest IQ in the room, but if he hasn't been exposed to
basic information that relates to the lesson, he will have difficulty learning. For example,
imagine that you were placed in a chemistry class without having been taught the
periodic table. You'd likely not learn a thing. The same is true for a student who is being
asked to solve algebraic equations but does not know his multiplication tables a
scenario that is all too common. Activate students' prior knowledge before beginning a
lesson. You will find out what information you need to pre-teach before jumping into
the actual lesson.

Barriers to Effective Learners

Learners can be de-motivated and fail to transfer due to a variety of reasons

including: Inefficient support from coworkers and superiors, difficulties with the work
itself, time constraints and outdated or otherwise inferior equipment.

Examples:
 Poorly designed content material
 Irrelevant training
 Non-supportive culture
 Stress and energy

Generalization

The goal of all learning is to make information portable, so that learning travels
with the learner to new locations. In the new locations, the learning is transferred and
applied in novel, interesting, and innovative ways. This is the phenomenon referred to
as the ‘Transfer of Learning’.

We have seen that transfer of learning takes place because of similarity on

content technique, method or because of generalization. If a student fails to detect the
two similarities to the two situations, transfer will not take place.

Teachers should remember that transfer is not accomplished with equal facility
or in equal amounts by all individuals. It depends upon one’s ability to perceive
relationship between two situations.

Learning should be considered an active and dynamic process, not a static

product. Instead of one-shot tests that follow learning tasks, students can improve
transfer by engaging in assessments that extend beyond current abilities.

The more understanding, the better the transfer.

Learning and transfer: implications for educational practice

A modern view of transfer in the context of educational practice shows little need to
distinguish between the general and specific paradigms, recognizing the role of both
identical elements and metacognition. In this view, the work of Bransford. Brown and
Cocking (1999) identified four key characteristics of learning as applied to transfer. They
are:

1. The necessity of initial learning;

2. The importance of abstract and contextual knowledge;

3. The conception of learning as an active and dynamic process; and

4. The notion that all learning is transfer.

First, the necessity of initial learning for transfer specifies that mere exposure or
memorization is not learning; there must be understanding. Learning as understanding
takes time, such that expertise with deep, organized knowledge improves transfer.
Teaching that emphasizes how to use knowledge or that improves motivation should
enhance transfer.
Second, while knowledge anchored in context is important for initial learning, it is also
inflexible without some level of abstraction that goes beyond the context. Practices to
improve transfer include having students specify connections across multiple contexts
or having them develop general solutions and strategies that would apply beyond a
single-context case.
Third, learning should be considered an active and dynamic process, not a static
product. Instead of one-shot tests that follow learning tasks, students can improve
transfer by engaging in assessments that extend beyond current abilities. Improving
transfer in this way requires instructor prompts to assist students – such as dynamic
assessments – or student development of metacognitive skills without prompting.
Finally, the fourth characteristic defines all learning as transfer. New learning builds on
previous learning, which implies that teachers can facilitate transfer by activating what
students know and by making their thinking visible. This includes addressing student
misconceptions and recognizing cultural behaviors that students bring to learning
situations.
A student-learning centered view of transfer embodies these four characteristics. With
this conception, teachers can help students transfer learning not just between contexts
in academics, but also to common home, work, or community environments.