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Using Analogies as a Basis for Teaching Cognitive Readiness

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Teaching and Measuring Cognitive Readiness

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Abstract

We review research showing ways in which analogies can be used to teach in a manner that fosters cognitive readiness for transfer. Although analogies are important teaching tools, it is important for teachers to be aware of potential pitfalls. Limits in relevant knowledge and processing capacity increase the likelihood that learners fail to notice or benefit from analogies in teaching. The aim of the teacher should be to assist the learner in developing veridical causal models of the domain or deep understanding of content structures. Major strategies for using analogies effectively in teaching include guided comparison of examples, highlighting of relations by principles and visual diagrams, ordering examples to encourage progressive alignment, and focusing attention on subgoals. The benefits of relational instruction are most apparent when the learner is later faced with novel problems that require extension and adaptation of the earlier examples used in training. We provide a list of recommendations for analogy-based teaching practices that can be customized to different learning contexts and training needs.

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Acknowledgements

The work reported herein was partially supported by grants from the Office of Naval Research, Award Numbers N000140810186 and N000140810126. The findings and opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect the positions or policies of the Office of Naval Research. We thank Harry O’Neil for helpful comments on an earlier draft.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 405 Hilgard Avenue, Los Angeles, CA, 90095-1563, USA

    Keith J. Holyoak

  2. Department of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago, 5730 S. Woodlawn Avenue, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA

    Lindsey E. Richland

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  1. Keith J. Holyoak
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  2. Lindsey E. Richland
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Correspondence to Keith J. Holyoak .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. , National Center for Research on Evaluati, University of Southern California, Longbow Drive 15366, Los Angeles, 91403, California, USA

    Harold F. O'Neil

  2. Office of Naval Research, Inglewood Ct. 2431, Arlington, 22043, Virgin Islands, USA

    Ray S. Perez

  3. National Center for Research on Evaluati, Standards, and Student Testing, CRESST/UCLA, Charles E. Young Drive North 301, Los Angeles, 90095-1521, California, USA

    Eva L. Baker

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Holyoak, K.J., Richland, L.E. (2014). Using Analogies as a Basis for Teaching Cognitive Readiness. In: O'Neil, H., Perez, R., Baker, E. (eds) Teaching and Measuring Cognitive Readiness. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-7579-8_12

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