Analogical Mind Seminars, Developmental Neurocognition Lab, Birkbeck, University of London
Abstract
Extensive research on science teaching has shown the effectiveness of analogies as a didactic tool that, when appropriately and effectively used, facilitates the learning process of abstract concepts. This seminar does not contradict the efficacy of such a didactic use of analogies but switches attention and interest to their heuristic use in approaching and correctly understanding what was previously unknown. Such use of analogies derives from research with 10 to 17-year-olds, who, when asked to make predictions in novel situations and to then provide explanations about these predictions, self-generated analogies and, by reasoning on their basis, made a scientifically compatible prediction. This heuristic use of analogies can be used in revealing how students approach situations they have not considered before as well as sources they draw upon in doing so and can productively be used in science teaching
