1. Threshold Concepts
may be considered to be
“akin to passing through a portal”
(Meyer and Land, 2004)
Peter Hadfield, Peter Wolstencroft and James Atherton
2. "A threshold concept can be considered as akin
to a portal, opening up a new and
previously inaccessible way of
thinking about something. It represents
a transformed way of understanding,
or interpreting, or viewing something
without which the learner cannot
progress."
(Meyer and Land, 2003:412)
3. Why Threshold concepts?
• Generic application for all subjects/disciplines, but
discipline specific for Interest groups to ‘uncover’
• A new way of looking at content
Must know
Should know
Could know
• About more than teaching & learning a subject
5. The following material is from “Simple Minds” (written and produced
by Philip Sadler) shown on BBC2 on 19 September 1994
This video material is not incorporated directly
in the on-line slide show, but may be found
with commentary at;
http://www.doceo.co.uk/tools/thresholds_7.ht
m
9. Systems and
Arguments
All the other stuff emphasises
the connectedness and context
of ideas and concepts. Threshold
concepts are about open up
connected areas of knowledge
11. Hattie (2009) is an important
contribution to knowledge
about teaching. He has
always emphasised the
importance of feedback...
12. Learner Teacher
From T to L on how
she is doing and how
to get better
From L to T on errors
and what T needs to
concentrate on
...to the learner. Now he stresses
the importance of feedback from
the learner to the teacher, about
the extent and limitations of the
learner’s understanding. This is
particularly critical concerning the
acquisition of threshold concepts.
14. Time
Knowledge/skilletc.
Once we engage with
threshold concepts,
however, we have to
recognise that the graph is
not a straight line, and that
uncertainty, confusion and
regression is a likely part of
the process
21. Always use a
hand basin
provided
exclusively for
washing hands
Use comfortably
hot water. Rub
your hands
vigorously to
work in the soap
Don’t forget the
areas in
between
your fingers
and around
your wrists
Rinse your hands
before drying them
Now wash your hands!
(Issue suggested by Catering Interest Group at
a previous Study Day)
It’s not only that there is more to
washing your hands than you
thought, but the fact that you learn
to pay so much attention to it also
says something about you. You are
becoming someone who is
professionally concerned about
cleanliness
24. • “Wood is made out of thin air and sunlight? Get
real!”
• “The cost of production has nothing to do with
price? Rubbish!”
• “So you are saying that the fact that someone’s
legs don’t work is not a disability? Come on!”
• “In a vacuum, a feather falls at the same speed
as a lead shot? No way!”
25. “Well, that was a waste of time. I could have
been doing something or anything else more
productively”
(One response to a previous Study Day)
Although sometimes we actually
know a threshold concept
already, without recognising its
significance. This is a common-
sense statement of “opportunity
cost”, a critical TC in economics!
27. Once I can
read—
I can’t not
read
can
read—
I can’tnot
read
Once I can read—
I can’t not read
Once
I
can
read—
I
can’tnotread
Once
I can
read—
I can’t not read
OnceIcanread—
Ican’tnotread
Once I can readI can’t not read
Once I can read—
I can’t not read
34. • ...think back to when you were learning the
subject or skill set which you now teach, and identify
a Threshold Concept you learned, and how it
changed your understanding and/or practice.
• Meet with one or two others from the same area...
• Swap ideas, and use the check-list to test
whether a threshold concept is the genuine article.
• In the plenary, we shall ask some of you to share
your ideas, and we’ll discuss them with you.
Briefing for the
exercise in the
refreshment break
Check-list items are
the features
identified earlier
