In this blog post, you are exploring what it means to "transfer" knowledge from one situation to another. Begin by discussing what transfer means and how a student can achieve successful transfer according to the researchers of How People Learn. What are contributing factors to successful transfer? Next extend your discussion to yourself: what prior knowledge did you come into the WEPO class with that has helped you with assignments--both mini and major assignments? what do you believe you will transfer from WEPO and why (be very specific)? Where will you transfer this knowledge to? And conclude by wrapping your discussion up: Why is transfer of knowledge important? Do you believe transfer happens whether you think about it or not?
Engage with others. Support your thinking with the text. Target 500 words.
Due: Wednesday, March 30, 2011 by classtime.
Sorry I had to Re-Post!
ReplyDeleteThe text defines transfer as “the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to another” (51). This is one of those concepts that we do seemingly effortlessly in our daily lives, but have not defined it, up until this point. Transfer, in my opinion, is bringing knowledge from a previous time in our lives and applying it to current situations. The text also mentions “initial learning is necessary for transfer” (53). This is clearly supported by the definition itself. We cannot just recall knowledge about a certain subject if we haven’t initially learned anything about it. For example, I wouldn’t teach a class on molecular biology or operate on someone because I have absolutely no prior knowledge on those subjects (other than what I watch on Grey’s Anatomy).
The text also emphasizes transfer as an “active, dynamic process rather than a passive, end-product of a particular set of learning experiences” (53). This is an interesting point because I know that I thought we just pull outside information and previous knowledge without realizing. I have realized after reading that this is certainly not the case. As we learn, we are creating webs in our minds in which we intertwine the new information with previous knowledge. To recall information in a current situation, we have to actively think back to when we first learned it and take it from that context and apply it to the current condition.
However, it is important to distinguish memory from transfer. Even the text agrees that “some experiences result in effective memory but poor transfer [while] others produce effective memory plus positive transfer” (51). Having done my key word newsletter on memory, I can see how these two terms can be intertwined and even substituted for one another. However, the main difference I believe has to deal with the intake of knowledge rather than experience. With memory, a person can recall an occurrence and contribute their experience in an area or field that is relevant to the past. However, with transfer, a person has to have previous comprehension of information of an area to contribute to the current scenario.
I came into this WEPO class with both basic and secondary knowledge of writing and structure of composing. It was through transfer that I could apply this previous knowledge to the assignments and projects. It has helped with mostly structural components, such as how to write a paper or blog post. However, I know that what I have learned in this class I will now be able to transfer to future tasks, especially future jobs. These skills will include how to write a formal business letter, how to think critically, and the practice of reflection.
The transfer of knowledge is extremely important. It is through transfer that we continue the process of learning. By using past knowledge in new scenarios, we are in a way grouping sets of ideas together. These ideas, in turn, can be analyzed to form theories or patterns of learning and development.
Transfer is the “the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new concerns” (51). In the educational sense from the article, educators “hope that students will transfer learning from one problem to another within a course, from one year in school to another, between school and home, and from school to the workplace” (51). I think transferring knowledge is something we do unknowingly. It is important and makes us more well informed individuals. This semester I am taking this class, SPC 2608, and Rhetoric with Fleckenstein. There is so much overlap that I have learned in one class that applies to another just this semester and it is because I transfer this knowledge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Alex when says transfer is important in the initial state and when she quotes the text by saying that transfer is , “active, dynamic process rather than a passive, end-product of a particular set of learning experiences” (53). The text brings up that there is a difference between “understanding and memorizing.” “Transfer is affected by the degree to which people learn understanding rather than merely memorize sets of facts or follow a fixed set of procedures” (54). This I think is essential in understanding when thinking of the contributing factors to a successful transfer. Earlier today I had to go to Thaggard because I had a pain in my stomach. As I was waiting for the doctor in the room, I noticed a chart of all of the internal organs from the mouth to the anus on a poster. My spring semester senior year of high school, I took an anatomy course. Let’s just say I was ready to get out of there and I didn’t care about understanding the courses the last semester. I just memorized the parts of the body—and then I knew them then. Today when I was looking at the chart, it seemed new again. I didn’t understand back then in that class, I just memorized. The information didn’t transfer.
When we had the newsletter project, I used MSword. In high school I was editor for two years and I mostly dealt with the layout and style of things. Though I didn’t normally work in word, I found myself thinking back to those days when thinking about the placement of my newsletter. I have always loved writing, and feel that every class I have taken has transferred to the next. I have done many different types of writing; writing for yearbooks, term papers, personal stories, and everyday writing. This class had a variety of assignments that required personal and objective writing. I think what I have learned in the past has definitely helped me in this class.
When I leave WEPO, I think I will transfer the knowledge of the online world. Just a few examples, what I learned about digital media, remediation, blogging, and different ways of thinking. This has been a very useful class for me and I really have enjoyed it.
The transfer of knowledge is important. Like the texts states with how it is necessary to function in the adult world. The overlap and transfer of knowledge can make us well informed human beings and ultimately more successful. I think the knowledge transfer happens both whether we realize it, and don’t realize it.
In the article, transfer is defined as the “ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts” (51). This means that when we learn something we carry it over to another aspect of our lives. For example, students may take what they learn from school and apply it to different aspects of their lives like home or the workplace (51). The researchers of How People Learn also mention that “new learning relies on transfer from previous learning,” so; transfer is a continually active process that builds upon previous experiences.
ReplyDeleteIn order to achieve successful transfer, a student first has to have an adequate level of understanding or mastery of the subject at hand, otherwise the foundation for building knowledge upon the subject would be unable to support transfer of new knowledge. After gaining a familiarity with the subject, the student has to really understand, and not just memorize a set of rules or information. For example, the text makes it explicit that “students who only memorize facts have little basis for approaching ..problem solving” (56). I think what Alex A said about memory is pretty interesting and accurate- “With memory, a person can recall an occurrence and contribute their experience in an area or field that is relevant to the past. However, with transfer, a person has to have previous comprehension of information of an area to contribute to the current scenario.” I agree that transfer relies on handling knowledge rather than just recalling and presenting information that has been stored from experience. Also beneficial to successful transfer is processing the information in several contexts, practice, and relate the information to their personal lives (78). I think relating information to yourself while learning is an extremely helpful learning mechanism because it allows you to become familiar with your subject through firsthand experience.
Personally, I came into WEPO knowing little about media, other than a basic technological literacy that extended itself to my mini and major projects. Other than what I had gathered from what I’d seen on television and in the blogging sphere, knowing how to navigate Microsoft Word and writing papers was basically the extent of my previous knowledge in this subject matter. Although most of it seems to have surface somewhere or another in my past education, I think most of the information simply did not have a name or a theory. Now that I have a solid foundation for the subjects of rhetoric, remediation, and editing, I will definitely take what I have learned with me into other classes for the EWM major. For example, I’m sure I’ll take what I learned about Bitzer’s rhetorical situation (being the reason for all writing) and transfer that to my Rhetoric class, and I’ll take the helpful style guides and writing tips from Sullivan and Eggleston and apply them to any editing I will encounter in the future, potentially a workplace. Specifically, I will take their technique of editing by going over the document in stages like the “first pass,” “second pass”, and so on. I also am more familiar with switching genres and target audiences, and have encountered new mediums like Wix, newsletters, Microsoft Pages, and blogs, which I had no knowledge of previously.
Though I have been transferring information since the time I began learning, I think this class is a great example of why transfer is so important. Without the foundation I have built in this class, I would not have a good background to contextualize new information in new classes, or just in life in general in relation to our ever-present relationship with media and technology. Transfer is the reason we can understand new subjects—because we have something to refer to from our past knowledge, and the ability to comprehend new information based on comprehension of old information. I agree with Alexis that transfer happens whether or not we realize it— sometimes when a subject is of interest to us, we store that knowledge without being aware of it.
Most of the information discussed in the How People Learn were things that made so much sense to be that I just never thought had to be identified. It absolutely makes sense that initial learning is essential for a transfer of knowledge. In order to learn how to do advanced calculus, the initial knowledge of basic algebra is almost a necessity. The initial learning is like a building block or foundation that you are able to build upon. All initial learning will make advances learning that much easier. For example, before I entered WEPO I had a general understanding of Microsoft Word. If I did not know these basic skills, being thrown into the chaos of in class mini assignments would have been overwhelming. Because I knew the basic outline of Word, exploring the other features that it had I was not as flustered. If I was simply thrown into working with a new processing system, I would have not been able to complete the assignments. I will definitely transfer my knowledge of online resources to other classes. I did not even know websites such as glogster and wix even existed, let alone know how to navigate and produce a product with them. From this class I now know how to make a YouTube video and make it NOT PRIVATE ☺. Above everything else I really think I will take the skills I learned by making the newsletter with me after this class. Not only do I know how to work with Word’s templates but also if I ever need to show that I know how to do a newsletter I have one to prove it. I will transfer this knowledge to other classes and most likely into the work force. I like what Alex was saying about how transferring information is different from your memory and your ability to recall the information. So often people learn something but are not able to recall the information. The perfect example of this is when you are taught something in class, you learn it and study the information but are unable to remember the info when prompted on a test. Does this mean you are a bad student or don’t have the knowledge? More likely than not you would be able to recognize the information if you were introduced to it more than once, but because of the fast pace of classes you receive a low grade and move on.
ReplyDeleteWhen you learn something, you never really think about the processes your brain is going through; the memory, the transfer. How People Learn sort of opened my eyes to this chain of learning called transfer. As the text defines it, and so have Alex and Alexis, “transfer is the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts” (51.) To refrain from too much redundancy in the blog, my idea of transfer is that it starts when we are very young. We are born with a blank slate, and we start with the basics. You are not going to teach a newborn how to do chemistry. You have to start with the alphabet and numbers and sounds before you can get anywhere near science. Over the years in school, children accumulate knowledge and build from it. This initial learning, as the text reads, “is necessary for transfer, and a considerable amount is known about the kinds of learning experiences that support transfer” (53). Without this initial learning, it is very difficult to have any transfer at all.
ReplyDeleteSuccessful transfer only happens through practice. “Learning is most effective when people engage in ‘deliberate practice’ that includes active monitoring of one’s learning experiences” (59). When they say monitoring, they mean looking back and giving the learner some sort of feedback. Feedback helps learners understand what they are doing wrong and what they have successfully learned. An example of feedback is when you take your paper to your teacher and it comes back with a bunch of scribble marks. This feedback helps you to see what you did wrong and how you can go about changing it for the better. Just like everything we read in this class, this has a strong connection to my keyword, reflection. We learn about ourselves through the feedback we receive from others.
The text says that, “Learners of all ages are more motivated when they can see the usefulness of what they are learning and when they can use that information to do something that has an impact on others” (61). I think that my idea of transfer relates very much to this. For a while, I really didn’t know what I wanted to study at FSU. I took so many different types of classes, but never felt like I was really going to be able to do anything with the knowledge that was given to me. It wasn’t till I took Advertising and also Article and Essay Technique last semester that I realized I wanted to double major in Communications and EWM. It was because I saw myself taking this knowledge with me in my career field. I knew I loved writing and I wanted to be in communications because I was motivated by the fact that the things I was learning were going to benefit me in the long run. I never felt that way with math or science.
In WEPO, I was able to build on past knowledge from Article and Essay Technique. I transfered my knowledge of blogging to the mini assignments. And for my digital portfolio, I already have a basic understanding of how Wix works, so I won’t need to teach myself that process. I can just transfer that knowledge and get right to work on my portfolio. Like Alexis, and probably most of my peers, I also came in with a good understanding of Microsoft Word. This is like the baby step when it comes to being in the field of EWM. There is no way I could have gotten a good understanding of Wix without previous knowledge of Microsoft Word and the internet in general.
The text that we read (just like everyone else has already stated) defines transfer as “the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new context.” (51) Transferring knowledge is something that we as students, teachers, and regular people do throughout our everyday lives. From the day we are able to talk, write, and read we have learned knowledge that continuously grows and passes on from person to person. Students can reach successful transfer in many different ways. “The ability to monitor one’s approach to problem solving – to be etacognitive – is an important part of the expert’s competence.” (50) Problem solving and learning how to problem solve has a lot to do with transfer being successful. It would be difficult to transfer this knowledge without this competence. It has a lot to do with our very own individual ways of learning, rather than just the facts. “Transfer is affected by the degree to which people learn understanding rather than merely memorize sets of facts or follow a fixed set of procedures.” (54) This could not be emphasized enough. It is so true that it depends a lot on how people learn and obtain information that it will determine how they transfer it. “Without an adequate level of initial learning, transfer can’t be expected.” (53) Without knowing the basis of information being presented, it would be nearly impossible to transfer, because there would not be knowledge that was clearly presented. “Transfer is affected by which the degree people understand rather than merely memorizing set facts.” (55) Knowledge would not be transferred correctly if we didn’t obtain the information like it should have.
ReplyDeleteComing into this WEPO class, my prior knowledge was limited compared to what I know now. I had never done any blog posts before, let alone create one myself. I had never created my own webpage either, and did not know of any websites to do so. The one type of knowledge that I had that has helped me with my mini assignments, is communication. I know how to talk to people and communicate rather well, so engaging in conversations on the blog, in the classroom, and with my professor were pretty good if I do say so myself. From WEPO, I believe I will carry a lot of information with me. I will now know the proper way to blog. I will know how to remediate something that has already been created. I will know how to explore new media both online and offline. Agreeing with Alexis, everything has been useful that we have done in this class. Rhetoric and composition are two major aspects when learning in the world of a writer/editor, and I believe that now I will be even more prepared my Rhetoric class that I have to take next spring semester.
Transferring knowledge is very important. We all can learn from each other. Without the transferring of it, how would we? If you think about it, everything transfers, and everything is knowledge. It could be facts of information, to something as simple as an insightful conversation.
Transfer of knowledge is defined most simply in the article as ““the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new concerns” (51). The most common type of transfer we focus on is the transfer of knowledge from the more abstract confines of the classroom to the more practically focused real world. The researchers lay out a number of factors that influence how successful transfer is, beginning with the success of the initial learning of the topic by students. They explain that if a student didn’t really grasp a concept in the first place, then it is more difficult to transfer the knowledge. For example, as they point out in an example about arteries and veins, if a student has simply memorized the facts about the two things, then they would struggle to relate that knowledge to a conceptual problem that required a more nuanced understanding of the relationship between stricture and function in the concepts of arteries and veins. Giving students sufficient time to learn concepts is another key to successful transfer. The researchers point out that even more talented individuals require plenty of time to hone their knowledge of complex topics, and that overloading students with too many difficult concepts too fast gives them too many organizing principles that they cannot fully grasp because they haven’t had time to grasp the necessary knowledge to make sense of those principles.
ReplyDeleteLearning concepts in more than one concept is another factor that plays into successful transfer. As the researchers note, learning about a mathematical concept in the context of just one situation like the boat problem, they often are unable to transfer the concept to other situations effectively. Motivation to learn, including social opportunities or benefits, is another factor identified that affects how successful transfer of knowledge is.
As far as my own experience in WEPO, I had taken a few EWM courses before this one, so I brought in some knowledge about some of the core ideas that carry across all of the major, like the principles of rhetoric, as well as a general level of experience writing at the college level. This prior knowledge has helped me because it gave me a foundation to start building upon in WEPO, which has helped expand my well of knowledge beyond the more traditional forms of composition the prior classes focused on. As far as what I will transfer from WEPO, I think it’s a more wide-ranging perspective on composition. I feel similar to Kayla, who mentioned that she learned a lot about the entire composition process, including aspects like editing, as well as the variety of different programs and formats digital technology provides us to work with.
Overall I think transfer of knowledge is extremely important because so much of what we learn in the classroom is taught in an abstract way, and without the ability to successfully transfer that knowledge, we would have a difficult time in the real world. I do think that transfer of knowledge can happen whether we think about it or not, because we never know how a previous learning experience may help us approach a new one. As the article notes, in that sense, all learning involves transfer of knowledge because we always draw on previous knowledge.
When you learn something new, often it can be applied to your life at a later time. When your parents taught you how to ride a bike as a child, this was important not only so you could learn to ride the bike, but it also taught you that you can learn to do anything with that same perseverance. It is said in the reading that, "learning is important because no one is born with the ability to function competently as an adult in society" (51). Learning to ride your bike helped you build the skills to function competently in society. You learned that you could do something all on your own, and I am sure at a later time this confidence that was instilled in you was transferred to a different situation. To "transfer" knowledge is to use knowledge from one forum in a new different forum. Transfer can occur consciously and subconsciously. As a student, we make use of vertical transfer, near transfer, and far transfer (53). Using the confidence you learned when riding the bike in a certain situation, such as learning a new style of writing, is a perfect example of far transfer. Although you probably see little to no similarities between riding a bike and learning a new style of writing, the confidence you gained when learning to ride a bike gave you the ability to believe in your strength as a writer. An example of vertical transfer is when you learned addition and subtraction. After learning these simple mathematical skills, you directly applied them to everything in the rest of your mathematical career. Unlike the direct transfer of math skills, near transfer is not always as obvious. Near transfer is described as, "transfer from one school task and [to] a highly similar task" (53).
ReplyDeleteAs you can see from these examples, the idea of transfer is not too complex. We are constantly transferring knowledge. In order to successfully transfer knowledge, the major prerequisite is to gain knowledge. As is said in the reading and noted by Alex Aron, "initial learning is necessary for transfer” (53). In order to transfer knowledge we have to acquire knowledge. To understand transfer, it is also crucial that we solidify the definition of knowledge. Memorizing facts and figures is not deep enough to have full knowledge about something. Having full knowledge of a subject means you must conceptualize information in a broader sense so it can be transferred to new scenarios at a later time. Before I came to WEPO class, I had knowledge of writing from my experiences in schooling, yearbook, literary magazine, and social networking. My understanding of writing was transferred to WEPO and the class helped broaden my knowledge. Aside from writing skills, some of the transferring that occurred in WEPO was also near transfer. My prior understanding of Photoshop and Indesign came in handy for both major and mini assignments. As I have brought my prior knowledge to the WEPO table, I have also taken away knowledge that will be transferred to new situations in my life. My understand of genre has been further developed which I will use when writing anything for the rest of my life. Before writing something I will carefully consider the genre and what would be considered appropriate for style and formatting. In addition to my understanding of genre, my writing skills have also been strength. This strength will be used when writing throughout my career as a student and my careers as an adult.
The transfer of knowledge from WEPO and every other aspect of my life is important because I will rarely go into a situation completely in the dark. An experience from my life will probably transfer, at the far least far transfer, to the new situation. Transfer will occur whether I realize it or not. When I am writing a letter to my future boss, I will consider the ideas of genre I learned in WEPO and the confidence that my parents taught me when riding a bike will subconsciously shine through in my writing as well.
I never understood the concept of transfer and how it applies to my life until I read the article How People Learn. The article explains the definition of transfer as “the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contexts” (51). It is the process of using different knowledge and skills and applying them to new experiences. An important truth to note is that, “no one is born with the ability to function competently as an adult in society” (51). Because of this, we rely on learning to help us know how to act in our culture. If we were not able to transfer, it would be very hard to live in this world. Transfer of knowledge is not about just repeating tasks or procedures, and then forgetting about it. It’s about using the skills learned to actively apply to another experience.
ReplyDeleteThe contributing factors of successful transfer are previous knowledge and that fact that transfer is an “active, dynamic process rather than a passive end-product” (53). This means that you have to put forth the effort to learn. For example, you can’t just sleep with a book near your bed and hope the words just sink into your brain. You actually have to read and study to learn the material. Another contributing factor is previous knowledge. Just like remediation builds upon itself, transfer builds upon previous experiences. You can’t remediate unless you have a basis for what you are remediating. So too, with experiences and transfer, you begin to connect things you have learned with other things and begin to have a bigger frame of knowledge as a whole. Reflection is also a major factor in transfer. In order to successfully move one aspect learned into another, you have to acknowledge that you even learned in the first place. This is a huge step, since when you reflect, you actively engage in what you have learned. Therefore, it is more readily accessible to transfer.
Some prior knowledge I had coming into the Wepo class was about 13-14 years worth of schooling. All of that knowledge has built upon each other year after year to help me get to the level I’m at today. But, specifically Wepo, I knew it was an editing, writing and media class, and I was actually curious to find out what this meant. I agree with Kayla that I came into this class knowing little about media, and even the different types that are there. For the assignments, I came in knowing how to write and think creatively. I definitely had to do that for the remediation project, to think outside the box. And for the mini assignments, I had to be confident in my writing skills to write while in a time crunch. Some things I will transfer from the Wepo class are skills, not facts. I learned, did not memorize. “Transfer is affected by the degree to which people learn with understanding rather than merely memorize sets of facts or follow a fixed set of procedures” (55). I will transfer the fact that I know how to write a blog post and make a website. I can transfer the skill of being able to write more than 500 words for an assignment, while reading, synthesizing, thinking about, and answering questions in a coherent way. And, I will transfer this knowledge to other classes and even a job. But more importantly, I will have the tools necessary to transfer.
Transfer is the ability to take context of one thing and apply it to a different context. We've been talking a bit about this in Rhetoric with Vico. Vico said that metaphor and the ability to compare two unlike things was a significant manifestation of the way human beings think. "Transfer is affected by the degree to which people learn with understanding rather than merely memorized sets of facts or follow a fixed set of procedures" (How People Learn, 55). This means that it is a grasp of the subject that reflects someone's knowledge, not their ability to regurgitate information. A student who is honest with their own ideas towards a subject will follow a successful transfer of knowledge because all that is required is that they access their own attitudes rather than someone else's.
ReplyDeletePrior knowledge that helped with the assignments has almost completely been my ability to access my own opinions. I've realized that over the years, answering questions only requires honesty. It helps for me to read the material and answer as if I'm having a conversation with someone. All I have to do is listen and be confident in my voice and my knowledge can be proven by that alone. I think from this WEPO class, an already prevalent transfer of knowledge has been literal meaning. Since taking WEPO, I've had a tendency to look at concepts literally. For example, rhetorical situation was literally a situation that incites rhetorical discourse. Remediation is the mediation of mediation. I never used to look at words for what they were but instead for the contexts that I associated them with. Now, I've been transferring this knowledge, in one specific instance, to theology. Two terms prevalent in theology are "consolation" and "desolation". Looking at the word consolation, I've been able to interpret the literal meaning of "con" "solation". It means, "with" and "solitude". From this, I've been able to gather that consolation is when someone is with you, in your solitude.
Amanda is right when she says successful transfer only happens through practice. Application and transferring knowledge in contexts is something that is learned over time. Especially in high school, we were taught to look at literature through different themes and elements. Doing this allowed us to become more confident in our perceptions; confident in our contexts. "Knowledge that is taught in only a single context is less likely to support flexible transfer of knowledge that is taught in multiple contexts" (How People Learn, 78) Because literature and concept based learning offers more contexts, it does a better job of becoming more personable knowledge and thereby, long-lasting. Another example, when I was in high school, I had a teacher that required us to memorize specific definitions for vocabulary tests. We were required to put those exact definitions. I got A's on all the tests, but the knowledge didn't really stick with me. In contrast, I had a teacher that required us to look up our own definitions, discuss our own context of a word, and even draw a picture. I found this method was much more effective in allow me to learn knowledge and over the years, has allowed me to transfer my perception of words. To this day, I remember my vocabulary word "melancholy", my context of hearing it in Adam Sandler's sad song in The Wedding Singer, and the picture of a guy sitting on a bed crying. I think the fact that I can remember this assignment despite the fact that it was over 4 years ago illustrates how transfer of knowledge can play an important role in the way we learn.
Amanda Saxton Post part 2
ReplyDeleteTransfer of knowledge is important because being able to connect things you learned with other things is a necessary skill to have. The researchers in the article say, “a metacognitive approach to teaching can increase transfer by helping students learn about themselves as learners in the context of acquiring content knowledge” (78).
We always learn new things about ourselves, even when we get older. We can always learn new things, and the process of transferring skills and knowledge is essential to being an avid thinker and seeker of information in this world. But, it’s not just enough to know information; you have to be able to connect it. I wholeheartedly agree with Amanda when she says, “I wanted to be in communications because I was motivated by the fact that the things I was learning were going to benefit me in the long run. I never felt that way with math or science.” Since I am a communications major as well, I love the fact that I will be able to apply what I am learning in this class to my communications classes.
I most definitely think transfer happens whether we think about it or not. Without knowing this when I was younger, “a major goal of schooling is to prepare students for flexible adaptation to new problems and settings” (77). I didn’t even realize transfer had a name and yet from the time I was a baby to where I am know I have been transferring different skills to different areas of my life. It’s only natural, and we will continue to do it as long as we have a mind capable to learn and grow.
From the article, I can derive that transfer is the ability to apply what you have learned in one situation to another situation. This requires more than memorization because of the application of the information, using facts to come to a conclusion, rather than just being able to sound off pieces of information. When you learn, you are learning on the basis of something else you already know. Because learning is this way, transfer is always occurring and it never stops. It’s the in-between of what you know and what you learn. Transfer also requires reflection. To be able to transfer knowledge, you have to “reflect” on what you have learned and how it can be effective in another situation or experience. I feel that transfer is some form of adaptability. It teaches you to think quickly and to be resourceful in quick matters. This is important because your job, as well as life, is going to throw unexpected situations in which it will be necessary for you to think this way.
ReplyDeleteIn WEPO, my prior knowledge of writing, technology, and blogging have aided my success in my assignments. Although, a lot of what we have learned is brand new to me. I believe that everything I have learned in WEPO will transfer to my other EWM classes that I take; that’s why they make it a “core” class. Now that I have had an introduction to other things I will be learning much more extensively, I feel much more prepared to go on to the next level of advanced courses. WEPO has give me some professional experience as well. I have been exposed to the high-pressure atmosphere of the print and deadline world, with limited resources at that. I have learned to write a professional letter that is authoritative without being mean or too bossy. I agree with Amanda Saxton, that transfer happens whether we like it or not. Learning is a natural occurrence and occurs throughout one's entire lifetime.
In my fifteen years of schooling, the using of knowledge learned in class and applying it to another class of even the workplace has always interested me. In college especially, students wait until a day or two before an exam to cram in order to get the grade they need. There is no interest in actually learning the material for the future. As stated in "How People Learn" transferring is taking the learning knowledge from on class and applying it in another class, place, or work. In my opinion, students study habits are not entirely their fault. Most students have 2-4 exams per class, per semester which all focus on several chapters that are filled with sometimes centuries worth of information, concepts, theories and vocabulary. There is such a big emphasis on those 2-4 exams that students do what they need to do to get a good grade. Their concern is not actually retaining that information, its knowing for a few hours so they can get an A and then forget it forever. According to Klausmeier, this can be fixed by "teaching knowledge and skills in school subjects that have elements identical to activities encountered in the transfer process".
ReplyDeleteThis class, do to the structuring of the assignments and projects, is unlike other classes I've taken in the past. For instance, on the first mini assignment day, we had to make a poster that promoted a book release. The assignment was vague besides what information needed to be included on the poster. Instead of feeling confused and unprepared for the assignment, I felt like I actually knew what I was doing. I used Picnik, which I had been using for two years and used basic information I had learned throughout the years of classes to entice the public to buy that particular book.
This class has not only allowed me to use transferred material, but it has also been a good place to learn material I will transfer in the future. In the "Born DIgital" editing assignment, I was new to In Design, and had never had experience putting together a magazine that actually had to read and look like a magazine. Although stressful, I learned several useful things that I can transfer in the process. For one, I gained skills in time management and leadership from being in charge of dictating my peer's writing pieces. Also, In Design is a great program that I'm sure being proficient in is very useful and now I can say I know how to use at least the basic tools. The structuring of a magazine, which is vital in our future line of work, does not seem like such a daunting task.
The term transfer is about a student’s ability to grasp information and their ability to use the information they learned in some other form whether it is vertical transfer, near transfer, or far transfer. Vertical transfer is about learning something kind of broad that is directly related to some other type od learning. An example that is used in the article to portray vertical transfer is learning the alphabet and using the letters to then write. An example of near transfer might be using facts a student has learned in another class where the same facts might apply. To accomplish near transfer a student must so more than simply memorize some data, they must understand the information that have gained so that they are able to correctly apply the same information in a different area. Then there is the last type of transfer called far transfer. This type of transfer takes learning a step further by leaving the classroom and applying to all areas of life. Far transfer is about taking some form of general knowledge and being able to use it in a number of areas in life where is applies. As it is stated in the article assigned, transfer is “the ability to extend what has been learned in one context to new contests” (e.g., Byrnes 1966:74).
ReplyDeleteAccording to the list of “Key characteristics of learning” included in the article there are a number of things that are necessary in order to have successful transfer. First is a learning process called Initial learning. This is the foundation to being able to transfer knowledge from one area to another. Next on the list is “knowledge that is over contextualized can reduce transfer, abstract representations of knowledge can help promote transfer” (p.2). What this means is that too much detail can be confusing and not conducive to transfer but that sometimes using abstract examples can be beneficial to transfer. Then there is the idea that transfer is not about being able to approach one destination. Transfer never stops working and is not just used in an educational setting, transfer is for life, and we never stop learning. Lastly, is the idea that anytime an individual learns something new it is based off of another form of transfer, or in other words previous learning.
Before taking WEPO this semester, I knew how to use different types of Microsoft programs, I knew how to read, and I knew how to regurgitate information from a textbook. This prior knowledge is actually vital in the transformation my writing has made over this short period of time. Because I was familiar with Microsoft Power point it was that much easier to learn how to use programs such as prezi. Although they serve the same purpose, they are very different in terms of use. However, being familiar with Power Point gives me a form of knowledge about computer programs themselves which transferred into an easier understanding of other programs like Prezi. The same goes for the other abilities I listed above. I was able to regurgitate information that I read from a textbook but now I am able to read text and think about the theories behind them and why they work. With this new form of knowledge I can approach an assortment of other projects I must do for other classes and now I will be able to think about audience, rhetorical situation, and the composing process.