The ability to transfer skills is important
in any situation. Using a good experience from one environment and being able
to transfer that into an area where one is not as confident and being
introverted, can allow them to open up and feel more comfortable in everyday
life. This is better known as contextual transfer, where assimilating good
experiences from one environment can be transferred into a different context.
Being more experienced adventure
facilitators, we should know that this concept is fundamental. However, the
research behind it is not as well grounded as that of experiential learning and
the comfort zone, although there is plenty out there.
It is often forgotten that soft skills are
just as important as hard skills, Phipps and Swiderski (1990) state that it is
no longer acceptable to just have hard skills nowadays. Examples of hard skills
are as navigating via map reading or being skilled at using certain bits of
equipment. Many schools offer programs to their pupils like the Duke of
Edinburgh award and afterwards international projects including World
Challenge. Both with the idealisation that the skills learnt from these
programs can be transferred into everyday life.
A study by Stott and Hall (2003) depicted
20 personal skills and 15 social skills that can be improved on during an
expedition. Using 60 young adults (16-20 years old), they found that 60% of the
personal and 40% of the social skills significantly improved after the
expedition. The participants rated themselves higher after the expedition. There
may be some limitations with self-assessment, however you can doubt an increase
in self-esteem, with them believing that their skills have increase.
There are 3 different ways that learning is
transferred as stated by Priest and Gass (1997), these are: Specific,
non-specific and Metaphoric.
Specific is used for hard skills with a
direct application, for example using a clove hitch from sailing and using it
when climbing.
Non-specific is generally where behaviors
and principles are transferred to the new context.
And finally Metaphoric is closest to just
soft skills. Where the skills learnt in an adventure setting are transferred
into an everyday setting. Naming it metaphoric to me is almost giving it an
area of interpretation. Allowing the learner to understand and interpret the
skill before any transfer takes place. Although this may cause some
misinterpretation.
Even though studies have been done, still
asking if transfer has occurred is not good enough (Perkins and Salomon, 1992).
It may be often thought that the occurrence of transfer just happens. However,
it doesn’t always occur. So by
understanding conditions in which transfer takes place.
The first condition consists of thorough
and diverse practice. This is substantial performance within a variety of
differing contexts (Luria, 1976). The second condition is explicit abstraction.
Promoting the appreciation for underlying principles. The third condition is
that of active self-monitoring. Ones self-reflection for exploring each
individual thinking process. The fourth is arousing mindfulness so it is making
sure of alertness. As not allowing for the use of reactive, passive, automatic
and mindless activity. Then finally, the fifth condition consists of using a
metaphor or analogy. Then knowledge can transfer from the original environment
to the new environment, ultimately allowing it to be understood better.
I feel that transfer can happen naturally
but its needs careful consideration by the facilitators. It should be an area
that is not completely focused on as the clients are there for the activity.
However, not forgetting about it and keeping it in the back of the mind to see
if there is any change along the way.
References and future readings:
Luria, A. (1976). Cognitive Development:
Its cultural and social foundations. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University
Press.
Perkins, D. & Salomon, G. (1992).
Transfer of Learning. In: International Encyclopaedia of
Education, Second Edition. Oxford: Pergamon Press.
Phipps, M., Swiderski, M. (1990). The “Soft”
Skills of Outdoor Leadership. In: Miles, J.C., Priest, S. Adventure Education.
Pennsylvania: Venture Publishing Inc. 221-230.
Priest, S. & Gass, M. (1993). Using
metaphors and isomorphs to transfer learning in adventure education. Journal
of Adventure Education and Outdoor Leadership, 10(4), 18-23.
Stott, T., Hall, N. (2003). Changes in
Aspects of Students’ Self-reported Personal, Social and Technical Skills During
a Six-week Wilderness Expedition in Artic Greenland. Journal of
Adventure Education and Outdoor Learning. 3 (2): 159-169.
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