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Transfer Skills and Their Case-Based Assessment

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Second International Handbook of Science Education

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE,volume 24))

Abstract

Enhancing students’ ability to recall knowledge and skills and to apply them in new learning situations is a major educational goal. In this chapter, we review the body of literature on theoretical aspects of transfer skills, including definitions, learning environments, and assessment methods. We then introduce a three-dimensional approach to distinguishing between near and far transfer. The transfer dimensions are task distance, interdisciplinarity and skills set. The approach serves as a foundation for a case-based assessment method of students’ transfer skills. The theoretical framework is confirmed by a chemistry case-based computerized laboratory study. We recommend that developers of educational programs base their transfer assignments on this three-dimensional framework in order to foster students’ near and far transfer skills and that researchers use this model for assessing transfer studies.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Education, Tel-Hai Academic College, Upper Galilee, 12210, Israel

    Irit Sasson

  2. Technion, Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, 32000, Israel

    Irit Sasson & Yehudit J. Dori

Authors
  1. Irit Sasson
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  2. Yehudit J. Dori
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Irit Sasson .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Science & Mathematics Education Centre, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, West Australia, Australia

    Barry J. Fraser

  2. The Graduate Centre, City University of New York, New York, 10016-4309, New York, USA

    Kenneth Tobin

  3. Ctr. Mathematics & Science Education, Queensland University of Technology, Victoria Park Rd., Kelvin Grove, 4059, Queensland, Australia

    Campbell J. McRobbie

Appendix

Appendix

Rubric for assessing students’ far transfer skill

Score

Applying chemical understanding levels

Chemistry levels’ relationship

Number of correct and relevant characteristics

Macroscopic level

Microscopic level

Process level

 

Chemistry

Biology

Physics

Other

0

No use of the macro level or a wrong macro-level explanation

No use of the micro level or a wrong micro-level explanation

No use of the process level or a wrong process-level explanation

No relationship between chemistry understanding levels

 

1

Use of one correct characteristic in the macro level

Use of one correct characteristic in the micro level

Use of one correct characteristic in the process level

Partial relationship between chemistry understanding levels

2

Use of at least two correct characteristics in the macro level

Use of at least two correct characteristics in the micro level

Use of at least two correct characteristics in the process level

Correct relationship between chemistry understanding levels

  1. All the rubrics were validated by five chemistry educational experts. These five experts also graded 10% of all the students’ responses, achieving 90% inter-raters reliability. As a result of this content analysis process, each student’s response was scored and normalized

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Sasson, I., Dori, Y.J. (2012). Transfer Skills and Their Case-Based Assessment. In: Fraser, B., Tobin, K., McRobbie, C. (eds) Second International Handbook of Science Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education, vol 24. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9041-7_46

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