Transfer of Learning Social Sciences Coursework Essay (Coursework Sample)

Transfer of Learning
Definition
* The carryover of habits of thinking, feeling or working, of knowledge or of skills from one learning area to another (Crow & Crow, 1973)
* The transfer of knowledge, training and habits acquired in one situation to another situation (Sorenson, 1948)
* A person’s learning in one situation influencing learning and performance in other situations (Biggie, 1967)
Transfer of knowledge involves applying to new problems the principles learned in other (often dissimilar) situations.
Conditions necessary for transfer of Learning
For transfer of learning to take place, five conditions must be in place:
* There must be similarity between two subjects or activities. The facts learnt in one subject or situation or activity should be relevant to another subject, situation or activity. For example, it is easy to transfer skills from biology to chemistry than from chemistry to C.R.E
* The learner must have the ability to perceive the similarities that exist between those two subjects, situations or activities.
* The learner must be completely familiar with one of those activities, situations or subjects in order to transfer knowledge efficiently.
* The learner must gain insight into the underlying rules that govern the content being learnt.
* There must be a motive for transferring knowledge. What will the learner gain by transferring knowledge?