ABSTRACT

It has long been a matter of concern to teachers in higher education why certain students ‘get stuck’ at particular points in the curriculum whilst others grasp concepts with comparative ease. What accounts for this variation in student performance and, more importantly, how can teachers change their teaching and courses to help students overcome such barriers?

This book examines the difficulties of student learning and offers advice on how to overcome them through course design, assessment practice and teaching methods. It also provides innovative case material from a wide range of institutions and disciplines, including the social sciences, the humanities, the sciences and economics.

 

part I|84 pages

Towards a theoretical framework

chapter Chapter 1|16 pages

Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge

An introduction

chapter Chapter 2|14 pages

Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge

Issues of liminality

chapter Chapter 5|15 pages

Threshold concepts

How can we recognise them?

part II|122 pages

Threshold concepts in practice

chapter Chapter 6|13 pages

Threshold concepts in Biology

Do they fit the definition?

chapter Chapter 8|19 pages

Threshold concepts in Economics

A case study

chapter Chapter 9|14 pages

Threshold concepts, troublesome knowledge and emotional capital

An exploration into learning about others

chapter Chapter 10|12 pages

Developing new ‘world views'

Threshold concepts in introductory accounting

chapter Chapter 12|9 pages

On the mastery of philosophical concepts

Socratic discourse and the unexpected ‘affect'

chapter |12 pages

Conclusion

Implications of threshold concepts for course design and evaluation