ABSTRACT
This chapter begins by setting the scene in terms of important learning concepts that have relevance for the application of learning in organizations. It also offers some definitions of learning transfer, as well as describing different types of transfer. Learning transfer, in the context of training and development activity, is discussed in the literature in terms of the generalization of material learned, such as skills acquired or knowledge gained in training back to the job, as well as maintenance of the learned material over a period of time on-the-job. Some distinctions are made between transfer of training and transfer of learning, as both terms appear regularly in the literature. Both behavioural and cognitive approaches are considered, and the relevance to transfer of adult learning principles, constructivist teaching methods and action learning are also dealt with. Those of you less theoretically-minded may prefer to skim over most of this chapter now and come back to it later.
