An exploration of transfer of learning opportunities in an online co-operative education preparatory curriculum

The purpose of this study was to explore the transfer of learning in an online co-op preparatory curriculum through an analysis of students’ discussions to understand if the thinking skills exhibited were consistent with what is understood about bridging techniques that support the transfer of learning. Qualitative content-analysis based on a priori codes were used to analyze the thinking skills of the participants. The key findings with respect to demonstrating support for the transfer of learning were: 1) strong evidence for metacognitive reflection, 2) some evidence for anticipating applications and parallel problem solving, 3) limited evidence for generalizing concepts, and 4) weak evidence for using analogies.