TRANSFER OF LEARNING
INTRODUCTION
TYPES OF TRANSFER
CONDTIONS FOR TRANSFER
STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING FOR TRANSFER
OF LEARNING
INTRODUCTION
 Purpose of school is to develop children’s
skills and knowledge necessary for functioning
effectively inside and outside the school.
 Worth of any learning is application of
knowledge and skills in learning new skill or
concept or using it in another situation.
 It is meaningless to learn something that you
can’t apply it.
Meaning of transfer of learning
 Situation where the learned knowledge and skills are
used either
 in learning another information, knowledge, skills or
attitudes in new situation,
 at another time or
 in real life situation.
 It includes knowledge and skills acquired through
experience which helps the student to learn anything in
classroom.
 Knowledge and skills acquired in the classroom or at
school are applied in solving problems outside the
school or in new situation or in the real life
environment
 Knowledge and skills gained in one subject are
applied in learning another subject or knowledge in
one topic is applied in learning another topic.
Theories of Transfer of Learning
 Mental discipline
 Identical elements
 Generalization
 Gestalt theory
 Apperception theory
Mental Discipline Theory
 Learning and training is a mental process.
 Basic in the transfer of learning is understanding of
classical knowledge which includes the study of
logic, grammar, science and mathematics.
 This means that if you acquire knowledge and
understanding in these fields you can be able to
understand better the knowledge in other fields.
 If you learn well logic you can use logical skills in
solving math problems. Understanding of logic can
also be promoted through learning of grammar.
Theory of Identical Elements
 Transfer of learning occurs when the person carries
from one situation elements that are identical with
the second situation where knowledge is to be
transferred.
 There are elements that are identical that a person
carries in another situation.
 These identical elements include procedures,
concepts, actions, facts, attitudes, principles or
techniques.
 Example, a student has learnt geometry in school;
measuring angles or sides of figures can also apply in
actual work of carpentry or masonry.
Generalization theory
 The knowledge gained through memorization can be
related and associated to many other experiences
and practices.
 So, the learner can be able to transfer that
knowledge to another situation without directly
apply specific knowledge from the first context.
 Transfer occurs by a using memorized knowledge to
other situations through general understanding of an
idea from one or more situations.
Gestalt theory
 Transfer of learning occurs when a person is able to
understand the information or idea, its
meaningfulness and its application to the daily life
during the time of learning or when experiencing
something.
 This depends on the learners’ ability to understand
the meaning of the idea or knowledge in one
situation and understanding its application in other
situations.
 In school, for example you learn how to prepare
manure in biology, you understand that you are
going to use it in your agricultural activities.
Apperception Theory
 This theory focuses on linking knowledge, previous
and new for effective transfer of learning.
 This implies that the teacher must help students to
assimilate new information in their already acquired
knowledge.
 It also implies that students must have ability to
assimilate new information in to the existing
knowledge.
 Using Active learning strategies for students, will
make transfer of knowledge effective.
Types of transfer of learning
1. Positive transfer
2. Negative transfer
Positive transfer: learning of one kind helps another
kind of learning or when used in life experiences
Examples:
i. Knowledge in geography is used in biology
ii. Skills and knowledge in mathematics are used in
business
 Knowledge and principles in psychology are
used in caring and bringing up children,
understanding and managing students behavior
in school or in classroom.
Lateral and vertical transfer
Lateral transfer: learning of one kind
facilitates learning of the same level in other
situations or in other contexts.
In school, it occurs;
When learning of one subject helps in learning
another subject. Some concepts, procedures,
principles and facts are applied in more than
one subject area.
Lateral transfer also occurs when experience in
solving problems in one situation can be
applied in solving problems of the similar kind
in another situation or new environment.
 Knowledge, various skills and attitudes are
taught at school but are applicable at home and
many things are learned at home and they can
help a child to learn well at school
 Example: cleaning room at home and
cleaning the class at school.
 Writing letters at school can be applied to
write letters of various types; official letters,
friendly letter or invitation letter for the
students’ personal use
Vertical transfer
 Learning of the lower level helps in learning at
higher level. Knowledge and skills learned at
class seven helps in learning at form II, form II
helps in learning form VI (refer Brunner’s
Spiral Curriculum).
 It also includes knowledge acquired during
childhood applied during adulthood.
Negative transfer
 Occurs when one kind of learning obstructs another
kind.
 Retroactive inhibition: present learning obstructs
previous learning.
 Proactive inhibition: previous learning obstructs
present learning.
 For example: 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.
Conditions for Transfer of Learning
Similarity: transfer of learning requires
similarity of:
 knowledge or skills in two kinds of learning or
in two situations;
 situations where learning is to be applied;
 the required procedures;
 principle to be applied;
 problem to be solved.
What the teacher should do
 Help the students to see the similarities in two
kinds of learning, in using the same knowledge
or skills in different situations,
 Show different situations where the same type
of knowledge, skills, concepts or principles can
be applied.
 Use advance organizers to see the relationship
 Give specific instructions on how to use
knowledge or skills gained in one situation to
another.
Ability of students to transfer
This depends on three major personal mental
capabilities of the student;
1. Ability to remember information gained
2. Ability to see relationships
3. Ability to understand information
Remembering involves:
 Principles that have learned and applied in one
situation.
Ability to understand principles
 Understanding of principle is key in their appropriate
uses.
Strategies:
 Discuss with students how the principles are applied;
 Give students chance to identify situations that a principle
can be applied, explain and show how to apply;
 Give examples of various situations where the principle
can be applied.
 Engage students in discovery
 Concepts and facts needed to learn and
understand new learning
 Procedures that are followed in solving a
particular problem.
 The context in which the idea was applied in
previous learning
 Without remembering previous information,
transfer is less likely to happen and new
learning is almost impossible to occur.
Ability to see relationships:
 Ability to see and relate pieces of information is
necessary in transferring knowledge and skills.
 So, students must have ability to see relationships
between one aspect of knowledge and another.
 Possessing ability to perceive elements of the
acquired knowledge that can be related to the
new learning
Strategies:
 Over-learning for retaining information
 Much practice of challenging activities;
 Use of memory strategies
 Revise one material before moving to another;
 Understanding of the structure of the material
for perceiving similarities.
 Application of theoretical knowledge
Motivation
 student’s motivation in doing their activities for
transferring knowledge or training.
 Motivate them in one or both of the following
situations:
 appraise them when they succeed in transferring
knowledge in tasks given that that demand transfer of
knowledge.
 Encourage and support them whenever they try to
apply acquired knowledge in the task you give them.
Bibliography
 Bichler & Snowman (1982): Psychology Applied to
Teaching. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Com.
 Elliott et al (2000): Educational Psychology: Effective
Teaching, Effective Learning. Boston: McGraw-Hill
 Lutz, J (1994): An Introduction to Learning and Memory.
Belmont: Wadsworth.
 McCormick, R (1999): ‘Practical Knowledge: A View
from the Snooker Table’ in McCormick, R & Paechter,
C Learning and Knowledge. London Paul Chapman
Publishing.
 Slavin, R (1988): Educational Psychology:Theory and
Practice.