Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge

Abstract

Editorial of special edition of Planet: This special edition of Planet arises from the GEES Subject Centre’s residential conference, entitled What on Earth ...? Student Learning in Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences, held at the Quality Inn, Plymouth at the end of June 2006.The issue, divided into three sections, contains articles from the keynote speakers, discussions and swap shop presentations at this event, as well as articles submitted in response to a call for papers on the topic of threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge. Some of the papers explore the topics directly, whilst others describe practices that have been found to enable student learning in difficult areas.