Knowledge Transfer Philosophy
In physical transfers, such as heat transfer, fluid flow, or electric current, we have the potential difference between two points, and this difference becomes the driving force to induce the flow.
The transfer of knowledge has the same property. It takes place between two potentials, the teacher and the student. However, there is a big difference between physical and knowledge transfers. While the rate in physical transfer, namely “current”, increases with increasing potential difference, the rate in knowledge transfer behaves just the opposite. The larger the potential difference is, the smaller the flow is.
Therefore, successful knowledge transfers take place at almost the same “potential”. Because the teacher is at the higher “potential”, he or she should be capable and willing to minimize the “potential difference” between his/hers and the students’.
There are a lot of effective methods to lower the “potential difference”; just to mention several of them:
- Using the students’ experience, their points of view, as the starting point in teaching
- Recognizing the novice level, the young age, etc. that limit the students’ perspectives
- Paying more attention to the gaps of teaching and learning described above, for example: minimizing in using definitions, abstract concepts, formulae, etc. in the starting phase of learning.
Ideally, the transfer of knowledge should be carried out with a progressing infinitesimal “potential difference” from the very beginning to the end of the course.