Nakakoji Yoshitaka, Wilson Rachel
Sydney School of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia.
J Intell. 2020 Sep 1;8(3):32. doi: 10.3390/jintelligence8030032.
Transfer of learning, the application of learning to different contexts over time, is important to all learning for development. As 21st century skills specifically aim to be "generic," there is an assumption that they can be transferred from context to context. We investigate the process of transfer in problem solving, with specific focus on mathematical problem solving tasks. Problem solving is highly valued in 21st century workplaces, where mathematical skills are also considered to be foundational in STEM and of paramount importance. This study examines the transfer of first semester mathematics learning to problem solving in second semester physics at university. We report on: (1) university students' (n = 10) "think-aloud" accounts of the process of transfer; and (2) students' (n = 10) and academics' (n = 8) perspectives on transfer processes and problem solving. Think-aloud accounts show students' recursive use of interpretation, integration, planning and execution thinking processes and highlight the meta-cognitive strategies used in transfer. Academics' and students' perspectives on transfer show disparities. Understanding these perspectives is important to current initiatives to integrate and optimise 21st century learning within universities. We argue that renewed attention on the concept of transfer is needed if the generic aims of 21st century skills are to be understood and promoted.
学习迁移，即随着时间的推移将所学知识应用于不同情境，对所有促进发展的学习都很重要。由于21世纪技能的具体目标旨在具有“通用性”，人们假定它们可以在不同情境之间进行迁移。我们研究问题解决中的迁移过程，特别关注数学问题解决任务。问题解决在21世纪的工作场所中受到高度重视，在这些场所中，数学技能也被视为STEM领域的基础且至关重要。本研究考察了大学第一学期数学学习向第二学期物理问题解决的迁移情况。我们报告了：（1）大学生（n = 10）对迁移过程的“出声思考”记录；以及（2）学生（n = 10）和学者（n = 8）对迁移过程和问题解决的看法。出声思考记录展示了学生对解释、整合、规划和执行思维过程的递归运用，并突出了迁移中使用的元认知策略。学者和学生对迁移的看法存在差异。理解这些看法对于当前在大学中整合和优化21世纪学习的举措很重要。我们认为，如果要理解和推广21世纪技能的通用目标，就需要重新关注迁移的概念。
