Threshold concepts

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Nine CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTEGRATING THRESHOLD CONCEPTS INTO THE CURRICULUM

Acknowledge

recognise

LISTEN

emphasise

Streamline your the curriculum by focusing on threshold concepts and removing less critical content.

Be aware of students' underlying knowledge.

Be attentive to students' questions and discussion to see if they fully understand the threshold concept.

Understand that students are letting go of their previous concept of that knowledge to learn the TC.

Emphasise student engagement to ensure students actively engage with the concepts.

mEYER & lAND2006

FOCUS

Nine CONSIDERATIONS FOR INTEGRATING THRESHOLD CONCEPTS INTO THE CURRICULUM

emphasise

instruct

acknowledge

Students may find learning threshold concepts difficult and want to give up.

Students learn differently, so approach threshold concepts from different angles.

Teach the full concept, not the simplified version.

Students navigate the space between confusion and understanding differently.

mEYER & lAND2006

reflect

Reflect on your current teaching curriculum - are you aiming to cover too much? Are there areas you could remove to make time for deeper learning of the threshold concepts?

A teacher should ensure that they provide a supportive learning environment to accommodate what Meyer and Land call 'troublesome knowledge' (2006). It can be disconcerting and confusing for students to have been perceived something one way and then be told that this perception or understanding is not complete or accurate. How do you recognise and support students going through this phase of their learning? Can you think of an example of when you struggled in the same way?

Some students come out the other side of the confusion, and some do not. Teachers should be aware that there is variation in how, when, and if a threshold concept is understood by students. One way to see how students are progressing through this liminal space to by using frequent, low-stakes check-in assignments throughout the course. Do you / how do you build regular mini-concept checks into your curriculum?

Meyer and Land (2006) state that threshold concepts in the classroom should be recursive and excursive. Recursive learning means that students approach the topic from many angles until the knowledge is formed. Excursive learning is the acknowledgement that learning is a journey with some unexpected points and an eventual destination. How do you allow space for recursive and excursive learning in your curriculum? How do you ensure students keep re-visiting their learning from different angles? Can you think of an example from the course you teach?

As students learn threshold concepts, they go through a 'liminal state', the period of uncertainty when students have not yet completely grasped the threshold concept. It is crucial for teachers to receive feedback from the students in the liminal state, to ensure that they understand the material and undergo that transformative process to comprehend the concept. How do you enable students to provide feedback to check their understanding in your curriculum? Do you use quick polls / quizzes, for example?

Students have previously retained a version of the threshold concept that might be correct in some contexts but is not the authorised understanding from the specific curriculum. It is important to ensure that the students are gaining knowledge in the context of the course material related to the threshold concept. Can you think of an example of an area or concept that students commonly start your course with a limited understanding of and need guidance to develop full understanding? Or a concept which students often think they understand but actually don't? How do you guide students towards enhanced understanding?

In teaching threshold concepts, many teachers want to initially teach a simplified version of the concept and get more refined and complex later on. However, upon being implemented in the classroom, students tended to settle for the simplified version rather than the fuller understanding, leading to less comprehension of the threshold concept. Can you think of an example of a concept which you could have simplified but didn't, or have you needed to amend the way a concept was introduced as it was too basic? How did students respond?

Allowing students time to work through the state of transition is important, as it can be frustrating and tiring. Getting students to reflect on their learning can help them process information and allow them to critically engage with the material. It is also useful to use peers to support and reassure students are they work through concepts and ideas. How could you / do you incorporate self and peer review to encourage students as they grapple with uncertainty? Could you use students from more advanced levels of study to reassure students?

To promote active learning, you could use case studies, discussions andproblem-solving tasks to incorporate the threshold concepts into the course. What activities do you use to promote active engagement with the threshold concepts in your curriculum?