Theories and Process of Transfer of Learning in Education

Over the years, humans have been learning from their activities. We’ve learned through many different things and situations as well. The same is the case with education. Education has evolved over periods of time. The learning processes have also transformed from old to new ones. Many theories and processes dictated this transfer of learning in education. The word transfer here describes the effects of past learning on present learning aspects. In the classroom or the world outside, our learning is affected by our past experiences. It depends very much on the experiences, and emotions of the past.

Theories of Transfer of Learning

From the discussion above, you probably know what transfer of learning is by now. In this section of the article, I will be discussing the major theories of learning in education. These theories of transfer of learning affect our education on both major, and minor levels. Let’s take a look at these theories one by one;

1. Mental Discipline

The first theory is that of mental discipline, and it came into existence in the 20th century. The base of this theory is philosophical. This theory states that every kind of learning comes from the mind. Mind is the ultimate power that controls the transfer of learning in education. According to this theory, our mind takes the central position in learning. This is because there are several facilities in the mind. These facilities get trained through muscular, as well as physical training.

The facilities in the mind can be the memorization power of an individual. Every student and learner has these mental facilities. It is up to a student regarding how he uses those facilities. The bright students use these facilities a lot. As a result, they have strong memorization abilities. The dull students, on the other hand, are slow learners.

2. Identical Elements

The 2nd theory is that of identical elements. An American psychologist, namely E.L. Thorndike developed this theory. According to this theory, most of the transfer of learning comes from one situation to another. Most of the time, the elements in those situations will be similar, or identical. In simple words, this theory states that more similarity leads to increased transfer of learning. Remember, the elements need to be identical, but not exactly the same. As a student, if you’re afraid of this similarity in the dissertation, you can buy dissertation writing services in the UK. Let’s explain this theory with an example. Learning to write with a pen is easy after writing with a lead pencil. Here you can see that the elements are identical and that they also affect the transfer of learning.

3. Generalisation

The theory of generalization is the 3rd theory of transfer of learning in education. A renowned psychologist C. Judd developed this theory. This theory is based on the saying, “First impression is the last impression.”

The degree of learning depends very much on the first experience of things. Before studying a subject, students develop a perspective about the subject on their own. In their perspective, they make themselves understand that this subject will be tough for them. Yet the reality might be different. But using the theory of generalization, they have already made an impression about that particular subject.

• Better transfer of learning is possible when one completely understands the principle of things. In simple words, it is an extension of the theory of identical elements.

4. Transposition

The 4th theory of transfer is the transposition theory advocated by Gestalt Psychology. This theory is based on the pattern of relationships between things. This theory states that understanding the principles is not important. The important thing is understanding the relationship between facts and processes. Gestalt Psychology says that this is the basis of the real transfer of learning.

5. Learning to Learn

It is the 5th theory of transfer of learning in education. Learning to learn means that learning goes from one method to another. There is not a single method of learning which you can rely on. Students can learn from several methods and theories. Learning to learn also means organizing one’s own learning. For example, an individual should learn how to manage time and information while writing a dissertation. If he fails to do so, he can take help from the dissertation writing service.

Abstracts

The theories of transfer of learning in education are real. All the theories mentioned above affect the transfer of knowledge in education. Yet the theories mentioned above are only the major ones. If you wish to go into more detail, you can look for other theories on the internet.