The old style of teaching used to stress memorization. Today we know that while memorization still has its place in some subjects, a student’s understanding of the underlying concepts is often more important. Transfer, which is transferring learning from one situation to another, is facilitated by understanding. This means that for something taught in school to be useful outside of the classroom, the student must truly understand it. Children remember more of what they are taught when they understand the concepts and principles behind it. They also tend to use their knowledge for problem solving more effectively. These are just some of the reasons why teaching for understanding is stressed in modern schools. More information on learning transfer can be found on the Vocabulary page.
Understanding versus memorization
Big Sky Institute, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana
Random image
