Ways of Teaching Thinking: An Introduction to Four Thinking-Centered Approaches Information and Resources: Pictures of Practice, Articles, Information resources Curriculum Design Tools: design tools, classroom resources, instructional materials Communication and Community: on-line feedback, news notes, forums Reflect and Connect: Reflection Journal, Activities, Next Steps
Alps LOGO Pick up your ALPS backpack (registered members only)What can meaningful teaching and learning look like?What are the central questions about teaching and learning?How do I explore Harvard Project ideas?How can I design curriculum and brainstorm ideas?Where can I talk to other educators?How can I learn more, take courses and earn credit?
The Thinking Classroom
The Thinking Classroom Main Menu

 

Ways of Teaching Thinking
Thinking through Transfer
Ways of Thinking Contents

Big Ideas Behind Thinking through Transfer

  • Transfer means making connections between new ideas, or knowledge, or topics one already knows about.

  • While transfer is arguably one of the primary learning objectives of the educational enterprise, it does not tend to occur readily on its own. Transfer however can occur, if it gets explicit attention through instruction.

  • Transfer secures knowledge and learning. A strong indicator of one's understanding of a topic or an idea often corresponds the number and quality of the connections one can make to other contexts. The more connections, the more secure the knowledge becomes.

  • There are different degrees of transfer. One type of transfer involves connecting one set of skills or concepts to a very similar context (near transfer). Another type of transfer involves connecting a set of skills or concepts to a very different or unrelated context (far transfer). Cultivating both types of transfer in the classroom goes a long way toward understanding.

  • Teachers can attend to transfer by employing a number of practical "bridging" or "hugging" techniques geared to address near and far transfer.

 

Next Steps:
More on Teaching through Transfer More Ways of Teaching Thinking
Ways of Thinking Contents

The Thinking Classroom Quick Menu


© Al Andrade, Harvard Project Zero, 1999
The Thinking Classroom is based on the collective research
and ideas of the Cognitive Skills Group, Harvard Project Zero, 1999

Backpack: [Designs] [CCDT Trailhead] [Forums] [Notepad] [Links] [Address Book] [User Profile]
Main Regions: [Look] [Reflect] [Explore] [Build] [Connect] [Learn]
[Logout] [Chat]

WIDE World Online Courses!
WIDE World is a distance learning initiative from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. It offers educators high-quality, coaching-based professional development at a distance, with a focus on teaching for understanding, thinking, assessment, and the integration of new technologies. Click here for more information.

Questions about this site: ALPS Webmaster (alpswebmaster@gse.harvard.edu)
Please provide us with feedback on this site.

Backpack Site Map Search ALPS Register for ALPS The complete help manual for ALPS Add this ALPS page to your Backpack