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Threshold Concept Articles

Introduction

This is a series of resources that has come out of work carried out initially by the Embedding Threshold Concepts project (ETC), led subsequently by a team based at the University of Staffordshire, with involvement from staff at Durham University, Coventry University and the University of West of England, who are looking into ways in which threshold concepts can be embedded into first year undergraduate courses in economics.

Whilst the focus of their research is on first year undergraduates, the idea of threshold concepts has relevance across all disciplines and at all levels of study. In simple terms, the acquisition of threshold concepts represents a new way of being able to understand a subject for the learner. The idea's authors, Erik Meyer and Ray Land, describe threshold concepts as a portal that allows a transformed understanding of the subject - the learner looks at the subject in a new light and with new insights that open up new horizons.

Studying any subject can sometimes seem like a journey through dark tunnels with successive doors. When you get through one door, there is another. Acquisition of threshold concepts might open the door to a new horizon where you can see things much more clearly! Copyright: Sas Van Veen, from stock.xchng

You might regard the aim as those 'aha' moments, when things suddenly seem to click and you then wonder how you ever thought any differently about things! The idea of threshold concepts and our understanding of them is still in its infancy but for many teachers and students, the idea that there is often a barrier beyond which it is difficult to progress is all too often obvious.

The research into threshold concepts is looking at how teachers might be able to build them into the learning programmes of students and facilitate the acquisition of these concepts.

Biz/ed is very grateful to the team at the University of Staffordshire, led by Professor Peter Davies and Jean Mangan, for permission to reproduce these resources. You can also access these resources by visiting the ETC site(http://www.staffs.ac.uk/schools/business/iepr/info/Economics(1).html), where you will also find further details of the project and the results of the research.

Pages in the Series

Reflective Exercises:

• Reflective Exercises Introduction
• Comparative Advantage
• Externalities
• Marginality
• Government Expenditure
• Opportunity Cost

Problem Focused Learning

• Problem Focused Learning Introduction
• Trade patterns and the Benefits from Trade - Teacher Resource
• Trade patterns and the Benefits from Trade - Student Resource
• Pollution and Policies - Teacher Resource
• Pollution and Policies - Student Resource