Learning Transfer
The ability to apply knowledge or skills learned in one context to new, different situations.
Also known as: Transfer of learning, Knowledge transfer, Skill transfer
Category: Concepts
Tags: learning, education, cognitive-science, application, skill-building
Explanation
Learning transfer refers to applying knowledge, skills, or strategies learned in one context to a different context. This is often the ultimate goal of education - not just performing well on tests about what was taught, but using that learning in real-world situations. Transfer can be 'near' (applying to similar contexts) or 'far' (applying to very different contexts). Unfortunately, transfer is notoriously difficult - people often fail to apply knowledge to contexts even slightly different from where they learned it. Factors that improve transfer include: learning underlying principles rather than surface procedures, practicing with varied examples, explicitly teaching for transfer, making connections between contexts, and developing metacognitive awareness. For knowledge workers, intentionally building transfer means: seeking underlying principles, practicing in multiple contexts, and actively looking for connections between domains.
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