Introducing Threshold Concepts
(Video; 24 April 2010)
(Meyer and Land, 2006:3)
These five videos were shot at the Study Day on 24 April 2010: the presentation was a continuous event, punctuated by a half-hour exercise. The first three videos follow each other before the exercise; the final two concern the plenary discussion which followed...
Introducing Theshold Concepts 1 from James Atherton on Vimeo.
This section explores how failure to get critical ("threshold") parts of the curriculum can jeopardise understanding of the whole, with reference to the ideas of photosynthesis and electrical circuits. (Draws on Sadler, 1994)
Introducing Threshold Concepts part 2
The third part of the presentation offers a slightly more systematic account of the characteristics and properties of Threshold Concepts as discussed by Meyer and Land.
Introducing Threshold Concepts part 3
Following the formal presentations, students were asked to meet informally during a half-hour break to identify threshold concepts in their disciplines and areas of practice. This is the first half of the ensuing plenary discussion.
Introducing Threshold Concepts part 4
The final part of the plenary discussion:
Introducing Threshold Concepts part 5
Links
- An introductory paper from one angle
- An introductory paper coming from a different angle
- What we don't yet know about threshold concepts
- What is not a threshold concept
- Video material on threshold concepts
-
And one which relates the ideas to other aspects of learning and teaching
(read after the further reading above) - Meyer and Land on Adam and Eve
- Is "Health and Safety" a threshold concept? (Discussion paper)
- The paper based on the Study Days presented at the international conference on Threshold Concepts held in Kingston Ontario 18-20 June 08. (Acrobat file)
- A March 2009 paper introducing the expanded idea of whether there may be threshold topics in the psycho-motor and affective domains as well, with links to slides.
- A further introductory session on video, including the plenary discussion of an exercise on identifying TCs. (April 2010)
- A presentation exploring TCs in relation to professional ways of thinking and practising (November 2011)
- A presentation and paper exploring how the structure and culture of educational institutions defend against liminality and hence precule learning through TCs: Atherton, Hadfield and Wolstencroft (June 2012)
External links
- Keynotes from the Third Biennial Symposium on Threshold Concepts in July 2010 (these do assume prior understanding of the principles, and each video is almost an hour)
- David Perkins on Threshold Experience. Some thoughts arising on my blog.
- Ray Land on Interdisciplinarity.
- Erik Meyer and Mick Flanagan on Episteme.
- Mick Flanagan's Introduction and Bibliography of Threshold Concepts.
Atherton J S (2013) Doceo; [On-line: UK] retrieved from
Original
material by James Atherton: last up-dated overall 10 February 2013 
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