Transfer of Learning: Applying Knowledge to New Situations

You can ace a test and still not be able to apply the knowledge in real life. This is the transfer problem. Transfer of learning is the ability to apply what you learned in one context to new, different contexts. It's often the whole point of learning—and it's harder than most people realize. Why Transfer Is Hard Context dependence: Learning is encoded with its context Surface differences: New situations look different even when principles apply Inert knowledge: Information stored but not accessible when needed Near vs. Far Transfer Near transfer: Applying learning to very similar situations (easy) Far transfer: Applying learning to different domains (hard) Most learning produces near transfer at best. Promoting Transfer Learn Underlying Principles Don't just learn what; learn why. Principles transfer; procedures don't. Use Multiple Examples Seeing the same principle in diverse contexts makes the principle more visible. Practice in Varied Contexts Study in different locations. Apply to