Using analogies as a basis for teaching cognitive readiness

Abstract

We review research showing ways in which analogies can be used to teach in a manner that fosters cognitive readiness for transfer. Although analogies are important teaching tools, it is important for teachers to be aware of potential pitfalls. Limits in relevant knowledge and processing capacity increase the likelihood that learners fail to notice or benefit from analogies in teaching. The aim of the teacher should be to assist the learner in developing veridical causal models of the domain or deep understanding of content structures. Major strategies for using analogies effectively in teaching include guided comparison of examples, highlighting of relations by principles and visual diagrams, ordering examples to encourage progressive alignment, and focusing attention on subgoals. The benefits of relational instruction are most apparent when the learner is later faced with novel problems that require extension and adaptation of the earlier examples used in training. We provide a list of recommendations for analogy-based teaching practices that can be customized to different learning contexts and training needs.