Effective knowledge transfer is a main area of concern for anyone involved in teaching. I've been especially interested while I in the midst of a very interactive learning environment (in the form of immersion in a foreign culture) while at the same time in a rather limited interactive teaching environment that I hope to bring about at least some change to (in the form of the Azeri classroom).
Currently I'm reading a really interesting (text)book called 'Processing the Experience' (Luckner & Nadler, 1997) which is one of the seminal books in experiential learning and strategies to employ to generalize the learning from a specific activity to larger life scenarios beyond the specific structured activity. They list seven important factors (pg. 21) in working towards more conscious and effective knowledge transfer techniques. They are:
1) Individuals must see similarities between situations that happen during the experience and situations that have occurred in other aspects of life.
2) Individuals who see that new knowledge or behaviors bring about beneficial results are more likely to be motivated to use this new learning.
3) It is helpful if individuals can identify opportunities to use new knowledge. This is encouraged by realistically comparing a structured experience with specific past and possible future situations in their lives.
4) Meaningful learning promotes better transfer than rote learning.
5) The more thoroughly something is learned, the more likely it is to be transferred to a new situation.
6) Numerous and varied examples and opportunities for practice increase the extent to which knowledge and skills may be applied in new situations.
7) The probability of transfer decreases as the time interval between the original task and the transfer task increases.
We can go over these principles again, but this time specifically orienting them to teaching English as a foreign language:
1) The student must see the connection between language subject matter taught in class related to the language used in real life.
2) When the student sees benefits of learning English they will be further motivated to learn the language.
3) It is helpful if the student can identify real opportunities to use this language. Whether helping with employment, their social life, or new information, it is useful to discuss specific past examples where English might have benefited them and future potential scenarios.
4) Learning English in a way that is meaningful to the student is always more effective than rote memorization of the language.
5) The more confident a student feels in an aspect of the language, the more likely they will use that aspect of the language in real life.
6) It will be more likely that English will be used in new situations if the student's knowledge is reinforced again and again in a variety of ways.
7) The likelihood of the student speaking English outside of the structured classroom decreases as a natural occurring scenario takes longer to appear.
Of these seven factors the one that jumps out as the most difficult to me is number 7. All other aspects of effective knowledge transfer can, to some degree, be accounted for in the classroom environment. But number 7 requires us to find validation outside of the environment. Perhaps this is why Conversation Clubs and Summer Camps are pushed so hard by Peace Corps, it gives validation outside the classroom.
