Threshold Concepts

Threshold Concepts: What They Are and Why They Matter

What are threshold concepts? According to Meyer and Land (2003), they are “core concepts that once understood, transform perception of a given subject” (p. 1). Threshold concepts are not just facts or definitions, but ways of thinking that open up new possibilities and perspectives. They are often troublesome, counter-intuitive, or paradoxical, and they require a shift in one’s identity or worldview to grasp them fully.

Some examples of threshold concepts in different disciplines are:

– Opportunity cost in economics
– Natural selection in biology
– Limit in calculus
– Genre in literary studies
– Power and privilege in social justice education

Why are threshold concepts important for teaching and learning? Because they can help us design more effective and meaningful curricula, pedagogies, and assessments. By identifying the threshold concepts in our fields, we can focus on the most essential and transformative aspects of our disciplines, rather than on superficial or fragmented knowledge. We can also help our students overcome the difficulties and challenges that they may face when encountering these concepts, by providing them with appropriate scaffolding, feedback, and support. Moreover, we can foster deeper and more lasting learning outcomes, by enabling our students to cross the thresholds and become more expert-like thinkers in our domains.

How can we identify and teach threshold concepts? There is no definitive list or method for finding the threshold concepts in any discipline, but some criteria that have been proposed are:

– Transformative: The concept changes the way one views the subject or oneself.
– Irreversible: The concept is difficult to unlearn or forget once understood.
– Integrative: The concept reveals connections or relations between other concepts or phenomena.
– Bounded: The concept defines the boundaries or scope of a discipline or sub-discipline.
– Troublesome: The concept is often problematic, unfamiliar, or alien to the learner.

To teach threshold concepts effectively, we need to be aware of the potential barriers and bottlenecks that our students may encounter, such as prior misconceptions, emotional resistance, or cognitive overload. We also need to create learning environments that are conducive to conceptual change, such as:

– Activating prior knowledge and eliciting preconceptions
– Providing clear explanations and multiple examples
– Encouraging active engagement and inquiry
– Facilitating peer collaboration and dialogue
– Providing timely and constructive feedback
– Assessing for understanding and transfer

Threshold concepts are powerful tools for enhancing teaching and learning in any discipline. By identifying and teaching them well, we can help our students cross the thresholds of understanding and become more competent and confident learners.

References:

Meyer, J. H., & Land, R. (2003). Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge: Linkages to ways of thinking and practising within the disciplines. In C. Rust (Ed.), Improving student learning – Ten years on (pp. 412–424). Oxford: Oxford Centre for Staff and Learning Development.

Meyer, J. H., & Land, R. (Eds.). (2006). Overcoming barriers to student understanding: help write my dissertation Threshold concepts and troublesome knowledge. London: Routledge.

Cousin, G. (2006). An introduction to threshold concepts. Planet, 17(1), 4–5.

Land, R., Meyer, J. H., & Flanagan, M. T. (Eds.). (2016). Threshold concepts in practice. Rotterdam: Sense Publishers.