Transfer of learning is the influence that previous learning or experience has on the learning or performance of another motor skill. In IB SEHS C.2.1, this includes skill-to-skill transfer, bilateral transfer, and stage-to-stage transfer.
The Reasoning and Mechanism
Transfer occurs because the performer can reuse previously developed movement patterns, perceptual cues, decision-making processes, or technical principles. The greater the similarity between two tasks, body movements, or learning stages, the more likely useful transfer becomes.
| Type | Meaning and sporting example |
|---|---|
| Skill-to-skill transfer | Learning one skill influences another skill. An overarm throw may help an athlete learn the javelin throw because both involve weight transfer, trunk rotation, and coordinated arm action. |
| Bilateral transfer | Learning with one side of the body influences performance with the opposite side. Practising a football pass with the dominant foot may support learning the same movement with the non-dominant foot. |
| Stage-to-stage transfer | Learning achieved during one stage supports progression into the next. A tennis player first understands the forehand in the cognitive stage, refines it during the associative stage, and eventually performs it automatically in the autonomous stage. |
Transfer can also be classified by its effect. Positive transfer assists learning, negative transfer interferes with learning because responses conflict, and zero transfer has no significant effect. For example, an experienced badminton player may initially use excessive wrist action when learning a tennis forehand, producing negative transfer.
A common misconception is that bilateral transfer means performing with both sides simultaneously. It actually means that learning acquired using one limb transfers to the corresponding limb on the other side.
Exam Technique
For an IB response, define transfer first, identify the specific type, and explain the link using a sporting example. Do not merely name two skills: state which shared movement pattern, cue, or learning process causes the transfer and whether its effect is positive, negative, or zero.