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Virtual Reality (2008) 12:151161 DOI 10.1007/s10055-008-0093-y
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Transfer of learning in virtual environments: a new challenge?
Cyril Bossard Gilles Kermarrec Cdric Buche Jacques Tisseau
Received: 16 November 2007 / Accepted: 4 March 2008 / Published online: 26 March 2008 Springer-Verlag London Limited 2008
Abstract The aim of all education is to apply what we learn in different contexts and to recognise and extend this learning to new situations. Virtual learning environments can be used to build skills. Recent research in cognitive psychology and education has shown that acquisitions are linked to the initial context. This provides a challenge for virtual reality in education or training. A brief overview of transfer issues highlights ve main ideas: (1) the type of transfer enables the virtual environment (VE) to be classied according to what is learned; (2) the transfer process can create conditions within the VE to facilitate transfer of learning; (3) specic features of VR must match and comply with transfer of learning; (4) transfer can be used to assess a VEs effectiveness; and (5) future research on transfer of learning must examine the singular context of learning. This paper discusses how new perspectives in cognitive psychology inuence and promote transfer of learning through the use of VEs.
Keywords Transfer of learning Training
Virtual environment Learning models
1 Introduction
The transfer of learning concept is usually found in educational literature. Transfer is a key concept in learning theories since most education and training aspires to convey skills or knowledge (Haskell 2001). Indeed, transfer is crucial to all learning (Marini and Genereux 1995). The nal purpose of education or training is to apply what we have learned in different contexts and to recognise and extend that learning to completely new situations.
When this transfer involves the eld of work, authors use the expression transfer of training. Transfer of training is dened as the extent of retention and application of knowledge, skills and attitudes from the training environment to the workplace environment (Pennington et al. 1995). From that perspective, acquisition of transferable knowledge and skills by workers, employees and managers is seen as a main component of a learning economy, resulting in a reduction in spending.
In education, transfer of learning relates to generating knowledge and information through...