The Science of Learning: Practical Applications for Transferring Learning in the K-12 and Higher Education Settings

Abstract

The fourth  Key Question posed in the Deans for Impact report (2015) asks, “How does learning transfer to new situations in or outside of the classroom?”  DFI (2015) propose two cognitive principles addressing the question.  This article briefly summarizes what current research says in regard to each cognitive principle and provides practical application suggestions for what each principle might look like in the K-12 and Higher Education settings. Though the practical applications provided are specific, the underlying concepts can be used as guidance for instruction that fosters students’ ability to transfer learning to novel problems.