Transference of Learning
The eminent educational psychologist Robert Bjork defines learning as the ability to access information even after significant periods of disuse and to use that information to solve new problems or in new ways, even if that occurs weeks or months later. The second half of this definition pertains to the transference of knowledge.
Transfer is the process of applying one’s knowledge and skills to new situations, a central goal of all education. Although all learning involves some degree of transfer, applying knowledge to a context different from the one in which it was first learned is challenging. Often, learners can demonstrate knowledge on a test using rote memorization (cramming) but are unable to apply their knowledge in other contexts when needed. Transfer failure is usually caused by learners having a limited understanding of acquired knowledge (memorized but not understood) or not being required to use that knowledge in new situations. A common example of transfer failure is when a learner memorizes a formula in math class but cannot solve a problem on the test if it is not identical to what was memorized.
The goal of transference is for learners to utilize past learning experiences in new situations or learning opportunities. There are two types of transfer: near transfer and far transfer. Near transfer occurs when existing knowledge in one context can be applied to another due to identical or related elements. An example in the workplace would be when a person who uses Google Sheets can easily learn Microsoft Excel formulas, as both applications have identical elements.
The second type of transfer is far transfer. This involves applying learned skills in dissimilar contexts, which poses challenges as individuals must adapt principles and judgments learned in one context to a completely different one. For instance, in an economics class, students can use knowledge learned in their statistics course to analyze and evaluate survey data. Research consistently finds that students have difficulty applying acquired knowledge and skills to situations not identical to those where they first learned the material( Nokes-Malach & Mestre, 2013).
Factors that affect the difficulty of transfer from Chew and Cerbin’s 2025 article The Transfer of Learning:
Depth of initial learning: Students fail to transfer knowledge when they have a poor grasp of the subject. Adequate understanding of the subject matter is a precondition for effective transfer (Day & Goldstone, 2012).
Encapsulated learning: Students may not think of knowledge and skills in terms of their future use. Instead, they may focus narrowly on learning the information immediately in front of them. An example is cramming for a test. The immediate grade is all they see as important.
Dissimilarity between the learning and transfer contexts: Generally, when the transfer context is very dissimilar from the learning context, students may not see how their knowledge is relevant or how their current knowledge can be applied to the new situation. Learners might not see the applications of algebra to their own life or future work, even though algebra is used in personal finances, cooking and baking, budgeting, and shopping as examples.
Dissimilarity between initial learning tasks and transfer tasks: Tasks might involve the transfer of factual knowledge, simple skills, complex skills, procedural rules, or abstract principles to unfamiliar situations.
As learners grow in their learning abilities, skilled instructors increase the distance of knowledge transfer. Life does not present the exact same problems all the time, and knowing how to apply information to solve new problems is the foundation of being educated. Memorized information might help on a low-level test, but it will not help much in life unless you get on Jeopardy! Learners need to look for connections between learned material and new material and celebrate any time they can transfer information, particularly when it is a far transfer.
Terry Doyle, Professor Emeritus, Ferris State University
CEO Learner Centered Tutoring, Inc
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