Explanation:
Prior Knowledge and Prior Experience
Students come into our course with a broad range of backgrounds, educational experiences, and prior knowledge and skills. Current research on learning suggests that learning is determined by what the learner already knows about the topic or related topics (Svinicki, 2004). If the pre-existing knowledge is correct and consistent with the new information, the effect on learning is positive. However, if prior knowledge is full of misconceptions, or conflicts with new information, the effect on new learning can be negative.
Circumstances in which prior knowledge hinders learning:
Ambrose et al. (2010) identified circumstances where prior knowledge can hinder student learning. Select one of the tabs below to learn more about each type of knowledge.
