(insert class slides here)

Transfer:

• Applying a skill learned in one context in a different one
• Relational reasoning must occur to overcome different surface features.
• For it to occur, one must be able to understand the underlying structure or “deep features”.

Negative Transfer – when you use a ‘learned’ skill in an analogous situation incorrectly.

Analogies:

• How to increase creativity using analogies?
  • Analogies in scientific discovery are usefull to tangibilize abstract concepts
    • Kepler – speed of planets to derive gravity
    • Dunbar – biological analogies
• Strong prior knowledge is essential for creating effective analogies
  • Learning facts therefore sometimes is needed

Exercise: create analogies for the following:

• A robbed safe
  • A pearl removed from a closed shell – NA
  • A person who’s lover has left – HQ
  • A hacked database – NA
• A light bulb blowing out
  • A candle extinguished by the wind
  • A tire popping flat
  • Collapsing while running a marathon
  • An overheated engine
• A budding cocoon
  • A flower blossoming
  • A transformative chemical reaction
  • A chick being born
  • A sprouting seed

Structure coding of analogies:

“A robbed safe”

Not Analogical

• Someone taking something out of a protected space
• An empty box
• A stolen wallet

Low Quality

• Squrrel digging nuts
• Expect something from computer and it’s broken, you can’t get it

High Quality

• Cheating on a partner
• Soldier coming back from war with PTSD

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Asked people to create analogies, sitting or moving indoors or outdoors. From lowest to highest scores for High Quality Analogies:

• Indoors – sitting
• Indoors – walking
• Outdoors – sitting
• Outdoors – walking

So… study/create outside 🙂 Is that why Steve Jobs always had long walks as meetings?

From lowest to highest scores for Novelty of Analogies:

• Indoors – sitting
• Outdoors – sitting
• Indoors – walking
• Outdoors – walking

So… walking helps with novelty or divergent thinking.

=> Moving around outside improves creativity and thinking BUT most of Edcuation is done indoors with the students sitting around.

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Analogy as a Core Mechanic for Transfer

Analogical Transfer

• Initial learning – need to learn underlying structure of the base
• Spontaneous access – need to be able to retrieve information

Example: The Radiation Problem

• No previous story – 10% solved it
• Spontaneous transfer – 30% solved it
• Hint condition – 75% solved it

Method: Give them 1 analogue, 2 analogues and compare, principle, and/or diagram.

Result: 2 analogues + principle + diagram was the best. But mainly it is the 2 analogues that make the difference.

With 2 analogies, you are able to create a Schema to solve the problem.

But bad analogies can be dangerous leading to wrong schemas.