Teaching for transfer of core/key skills in higher education: Cognitive skills |
| |
Authors: | David Billing |
| |
Institution: | (1) 73 Whitehill Road, Hitchin, SG4 9HP, Herts, UK |
| |
Abstract: | This article is a result of a completed survey of the mainly cognitive science literature on the transferability of those
skills which have been described variously as ‘core’, ‘key’, and ‘generic’. The literature reveals that those predominantly
cognitive skills which have been studied thoroughly (mainly problem solving) are transferable under certain conditions. These
conditions relate particularly to the methods and environment of the learning of these skills. Therefore, there are many implications
for the teaching of key skills in higher education, which the article draws out, following a summary of the main findings
of the research literature. Learning of principles and concepts facilitates transfer to dissimilar problems, as it creates
more flexible mental representations, whereas rote learning of facts discourages transfer. Transfer is fostered when general
principles of reasoning are taught together with self-monitoring practices and potential applications in varied contexts.
Training in reasoning and critical thinking is only effective for transfer, when abstract principles and rules are coupled
with examples. Transfer is promoted when learning takes place in a social context, which fosters generation of principles
and explanations. Transfer improves when learning is through co-operative methods, and where there is feedback on performance
with training examples. The specificity of the context in which principles are learned reduces their transfer. Transfer is
promoted if learners are shown how problems resemble each other, if they are expected to learn to do this themselves, if they
are aware of how to apply skills in different contexts, if attention is directed to the underlying goal structure of comparable
problems, if examples are varied and are accompanied by rules or principles (especially if discovered by the learners), and
if learners’ self-explanations are stimulated. Learning to use meta-cognitive strategies is especially important for transfer. |
| |
Keywords: | ability capability cognitive competency core generic key metacognitive skill teaching transfer |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|