Threshold concepts - November 2012

The need to add new subject material or desired student outcomes to existing courses creates challenges if we are to ensure that the required student workload is reasonable. Usually the addition of new course content or focus requires that some existing subject material be removed.

How to make sure that essential material or concepts are not lost in course evolution?

One category of essential concepts is the so-called threshold concepts. Threshold concepts are "akin to passing through a portal"  or "conceptual gateway" that opens up students to new level of understanding. In this session Julie Timmermans, Centre for Teaching Excellence, and Gordon Stubley presented features of threshold concepts and discussed how they can be identified. Participants were encouraged to bring their course outline so that they can get a little experience in identifying the threshold concepts in their courses.

Full session abstract (PDF)

Julie Timmermans's introduction to threshold concepts (PDF)

Gordon Stubley's examples from engineering (PDF)

Julie Timmermans's reference list (PDF)