Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 23, 2025
10:26
Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
4.0K
Should the concepts chosen to guide concept-based curricula be threshold concepts?
Kim M Mitchell1, Marnie Kramer1
1College of Nursing, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, 89 Curry Place, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada.
Nurse Education Today
|November 5, 2022
Summary
This study proposes using threshold concepts in nursing education curricula. These concepts can transform learning and professional identity, overcoming challenges in current concept-based designs.
Area of Science:
- Nursing Education
- Curriculum Design
Background:
- Current concept-based curricula in nursing may inadvertently emphasize content over deeper understanding.
- Threshold concept theory is not widely integrated into discussions of nursing curricula.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose threshold knowledge concepts as the guiding principles for concept-based nursing curricula.
- To address challenges in current concept-based curriculum design.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and theoretical analysis of threshold concept theory.
- Discussion of potential application in nursing education.
Main Results:
- Threshold concepts offer a transformative approach to knowledge acquisition and professional identity development.
- They differ from core concepts by acting as portals and possessing transformative potential.
Conclusions:
- Integrating threshold concepts can enhance the transfer of learning in nursing courses.
- This approach may reduce faculty resistance to concept-based curriculum reform.
Related Concept Videos
01:24Natural and Artificial Concepts
233
In psychology, concepts can be divided into two categories: natural and artificial. Natural concepts are formed through direct or indirect experiences. For example, consider the concept of snow. If you live in a place with regular snowfall, such as Essex Junction, Vermont, you know snow through direct experiences. You’ve seen it fall, touched it, shoveled it, and played in it. You recognize its texture, appearance, and even its smell. In contrast, if you live on an island like Saint...
233
01:24Concepts and Prototypes
201
The human nervous system handles vast amounts of information by translating sensory stimuli into neural impulses, which the brain processes, creating thoughts expressed through language or stored as memories. The brain also synthesizes information from emotions and memories, which significantly influence thoughts and behaviors. This intricate process creates a comprehensive mental picture.
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...
The brain organizes this information using concepts, which are mental categories grouping linguistic data,...
201
01:21Cognitive Learning
479
Cognitive learning is based on purposive behavior, incidental learning, and insight learning.
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
E. C. Tolman's theory of purposive behavior emphasizes that much behavior is goal-directed. He argued that to understand behavior, we must look at the entire sequence of actions leading to a goal. For instance, high school students study hard, not just due to past reinforcement but also to achieve the goal of getting into a good college.
Tolman introduced the idea that behavior is influenced by...
479
01:21Sensation
726
Sensory receptors are specialized neurons that respond to specific types of external stimuli, initiating the process known as sensation. This occurs when sensory input, such as light entering the eye, is detected by these receptors, causing chemical changes in the cells of the retina. These cells then convert the sensory stimulus into action potentials that are transmitted to the central nervous system, a process termed transduction.
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
Absolute thresholds can quantify the sensitivity of sensory...
726
01:19Critical Thinking
203
Critical thinking involves reflective and productive thinking and the evaluation of evidence. Critical thinkers seek to understand the deeper meaning of ideas, question assumptions, and make independent decisions about what to believe or do. Scientists, for instance, are often critical thinkers. Critical thinking also requires humility about what we know and don't know and the motivation to look beyond the obvious. It is essential for effective problem-solving.
Colleges and universities are...
Colleges and universities are...
203
01:18Classical Conditioning
613
Associative learning, a core principle in behavioral psychology, involves forming connections between events and facilitating learned responses. This concept is vividly illustrated by classical conditioning, a process extensively studied by the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov. Pavlov's pioneering research on dogs' digestive systems led to the discovery that behaviors can be learned through association, laying the groundwork for classical conditioning.
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs...
Ivan Pavlov observed that dogs...
613