Chapter 8, page 184
All of the above examples are instances of failures to achieve positive transfer--a desired transfer from
one situation to another situation. Another problem in transfer is that negative transfer sometimes occurs.
With negative transfer, the learner transfers information from one situation to another, but the information
that is transferred does not apply to the second situation. Here is an example of negative transfer, in the
form of a problem that you should first do yourself.
When solving these problems, cover up my comments below. Do the problems in the order shown.
Given a 21-quart jar, a 127-quart jar, and a 3-quart jar, how would you measure out 100 quarts?
Given a 9-quart jar, a 42-quart jar, and a 6-quart jar, how would you measure out 21 quarts?
Given a 20-quart jar, a 59-quart jar, and a 4-quart jar, how would you measure out 31 quarts?
Given a 18-quart jar, a 43-quart jar, and a 10-quart jar, how would you measure out 5 quarts?
Given a 14-quart jar, a 163-quart jar, and a 25-quart jar, how would you measure out 99 quarts?
Given a 28-quart jar, a 76-quart jar, and a 3-quart jar, how would you measure out 25 quarts?
Given a 13-quart jar, a 43-quart jar, and a 4-quart jar, how would you measure out 22 quarts?
Given a 12-quart jar, a 36-quart jar, and a 9-quart jar, how would you measure out 6 quarts?
Given a 23-quart jar, a 49-quart jar, and a 3-quart jar, how would you measure out 20 quarts?
(Solve these problems before reading on.)
If you are like most people, after you solved two or three of these problems, you figured out that there was
a usable solution that worked on all of the problems: Fill the second jar, pour out enough to fill the first
jar, and then pour out enough to fill the third jar twice. Then what is left over in the second jar is the
desired amount. You can symbolize this solution with the equation B - A - 2C. This equation works for
all of the problems. However, there is a simpler solution to the last problem:
A - C. However, few people notice this easier solution; they just keep on using the tried and true solution
each time. This is an example of using a less efficient but familiar strategy over and over and, meanwhile,
not noticing an easier strategy.
Assessing for Transfer
In order to help students learn to transfer their knowledge to the real world, it is important to use
assessments that really measure whether students can use what they are learning to accomplish real-world
tasks. These assessments are often called performance assessments or authentic assessments.