Two models for promoting transfer: a comparison and critical analysis

The effect of work placements on the academic performance of Chinese students in UK higher education

“…For placements to enhance academic performance afterwards, it is important to ensure two-way flows of learning transfer: from the academic domain to the workplace and back to the academic domain following placements (Cornford 2002). It is not easy for Chinese students to adjust to English speaking higher education learning environments without interventions from teachers, lecturers and fellow students (Guo and Chase 2011;Motto-Smith 2013;Wang et al 2012).…”

Challenging current policies and policy makers' thinking on generic skills

“…Furthermore, Stasz's position does not reflect recognition of the need for contextual facilitation approaches as adopted by Broad & Newstrom (1992) and Yelon (1992). Nor does it reflect the model published later by Cornford (2002b) that indicates how the generic nature and transfer of skills may be successfully established in learners' minds by carefully sequenced stages of initial training and assessment coupled with feedback to learners.…”

“…In effect, transfer of learning is the process whereby initially learned skills become generic. Educational psychologists have long recognised transfer of learning as one of the most challenging and problematic issues in education and training (Cox, 1997;Haskell, 2001;Cornford, 2002b). Yet this supremely challenging aspect of real world learning and application of generic skills does not appear to have been recognised as such by policy makers entranced by an idealistic vision intended to surmount educational, social and political problems.…”

“…In the model M stands for motivation before, during and after training, A stands for awareness of learner, S stands for skill knowledge, and the second S stands for support in the workplace (see Yelon, 1992;Cornford, 2002b). Yelon persuasively argues that without substantial support in the workplace positive transfer will not occur or reoccur and be sustained despite potentially effective training and learning (see also Eraut, 2004).…”

“…These figures from Baldwin & Ford (1988) and Detterman (1993) suggest that, despite this logical location of training in what in commonsense terms is the site most likely to facilitate transfer, effective transfer was not generally achieved. Yet there is considerable evidence that transfer of learning can be achieved if there is explicit awareness of different types of transfer (Haskell, 2001), and conditions are established to ensure that transfer is specifically facilitated, rather than being considered an unproblematic, naturally occurring phenomenon (see Brown et al, 1989;Yelon, 1992;Cornford, 2002b;Eraut, 2004).…”