The document discusses threshold concepts, which are core concepts in a discipline that are difficult for students to grasp but are essential for developing understanding in that field. Some key points made are: - Threshold concepts can act as a portal to new ways of thinking about a subject. Understanding them transforms one's view of the subject matter. - Misunderstanding of threshold concepts may not become apparent until later courses, and can be difficult to assess due to being tacit in nature. - Failure to comprehend a threshold concept can result in backsliding of knowledge and disproportionate misunderstanding compared to technical difficulty of the concept.

1. • You’re teaching a second-year module with a
first-year prerequisite; but the students don’t
understand it. What happened? They all
passed the first year module, after all.

2. • “He’ll pass the assessments and get his
degree, but he’ll never think like an
engineer.”

3. • “You can teach some things until you’re blue
in the face, but they still don’t get it.”

4. Threshold concepts and
troublesome knowledge

5. • Reading
• Counting… division
• Price
• Caring
• Circuits
• Heat transfer
• …

6. T h re s h o ld C o n c e p ts
a n d tro u b le s o m e
k n o w le d g e
in c lu d e
T h re s h o ld c o n c e p ts
th e m s e lv e s

7. T h re s h o ld C o n c e p ts
an d tro u b le s o m e
k n o w le d g e
in c lu d e
T h re s h o ld c o n c e p ts
th e m s e lv e s
w h ich a re
D iscip lin e sp e cific

8. T h re s h o ld C o n c e p ts
an d tro u b le s o m e
k n o w le d g e
in c lu d e
T h re s h o ld c o n c e p ts
th e m s e lv e s
are lik e
A p o rtal to n e w
u n d e rs tan d in g

9. With acknowledgements to whomever they are due

10. • “A threshold concept can be considered as akin to a portal,
• opening up a new and previously inaccessible way of
thinking about something.
• It represents a transformed way of understanding, or
interpreting, or viewing something
• without which the learner cannot progress.
• As a consequence of comprehending a threshold concept
there may thus be a transformed internal view of subject
matter, subject landscape, or even world view.”
(Meyer and Land, 2003)

11. T h re s h o ld C o n c e p ts
an d tro u b le s o m e
k n o w le d g e
in c lu d e
T h re s h o ld c o n c e p ts
th e m s e lv e s
are lik e
A p o rtal to n e w
u n d e rs tan d in g

12. T h re s h o ld C o n c e p ts
a n d tro u b le s o m e
k n o w le d g e
in c lu d e
T h re s h o ld c o n c e p ts
th e m s e lv e s
a re lik e
A p o rta l to n e w
u n d e rs ta n d in g
th e y a re
lik e ly to b e
tr a n s fo r m a tiv e

13. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome
knowledge
include
Threshold concepts
themselves
are like
A portal to new
understanding
they are likely to be
transformative
irreversible

14. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome
knowledge
include
Threshold concepts
themselves
are like
A portal to new
understanding
they are likely to be
transformative integrative
irreversible

15. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome
knowledge
include
Threshold concepts
themselves
are like
A portal to new
understanding
they are likely to be
transformative integrative
irreversible bounded

16. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome
knowledge
include
Threshold concepts
themselves
are like
A portal to new
understanding
they are likely to be
transformative integrative troublesome?
irreversible bounded

17. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome
knowledge
include
Threshold concepts
themselves troublesome
are like
A portal to new
understanding
they are likely to be
transformative integrative
irreversible bounded

18. Threshold Concepts
and troublesome ritual
knowledge
include
inert
Threshold concepts troublesome
themselves knowledge
conceptually
are like
difficult
A portal to new
understanding alien
they are likely to be
tacit
transformative integrative
irreversible bounded

20. Changes how a topic is
understood

21. Changes how a topic is
understood
Misunderstanding
often not apparent
until later

22. Changes how a topic is
understood
Misunderstanding
often not apparent Hard to assess;
until later Many proxies

23. Changes how a topic is
understood
Misunderstanding
often not apparent Hard to assess;
until later Many proxies
Misunderstanding
disproportionate to
technical difficulty

24. Changes how a topic is
understood
Misunderstanding
often not apparent Hard to assess;
until later Many proxies
Misunderstanding Back-sliding!
disproportionate to
technical difficulty

25. Changes how a topic is
understood
Misunderstanding
often not apparent Hard to assess;
until later Many proxies
TC
Misunderstanding Back-sliding!
disproportionate to
technical difficulty

26. • Identify a Threshold Concept in your own discipline
• Explore how it might better be taught and assessed