"Aha!" Teaching by Analogy

‘AHA!’ TEACHING BY ANALOGY by Dr Ted Bailey When faced with something new, we compare it to what we already know. We have been doing it subconsciously since infancy. We say something is ‘as’ or ‘like’ something else: ‘brave as a lion’ and ‘swims like a fish’ and so on. These are basic similes which are built into our everyday conversations and which we all take for granted. They help us compare and make sense of realms of experience which are unlike each other. Analogies work on the same principle but are usually more elaborate and flexible and so have greater potential in thinking and explaining. Analogies are similes which have been specifically extended to better communicate or clarify a point to our listener. Have you used any kind of analogy today before reading this? Most likely you have, at least once if not several times. When you say: “Well, it’s rather like …” or: “Think of it as if it’s …” an analogy is on its way. At that point, what you are actually doing is appealing to your listener’s previous experience to help you get your point across more clearly and with greater impact. Given that we are analogising regularly in everyday communication, it naturally follows that it has great potential in teaching and training. In a learning setting, the same principle of comparison applies because analogy is a vital bridge linking our personal experience and previous knowledge to any target study material. A major part of any teaching is spent revealing, explaining and simplifying new or difficult ideas or skills. An appropriate analogy can (a) ease and speed up this process considerably by calling upon and validating the student’s prior experience as a starting point and (b) make the student feel more comfortable with the process and so boost confidence in learning. It is a bit like a local giving geographical directions to a stranger. As they do not know the area you have to use some clear signposts, e.g a church or tavern, to guide them to their desired destination. Analogically, in the learning context, the teacher is the local and learner is the stranger needing information. That itself is an example of a simple analogy: local/teacher to stranger/learner. Obviously, teaching operates in a more deliberate and formal fashion than our everyday conversations but the principle remains the same. A good analogy in teaching immediately incorporates shared common sense about the world to connect it with the idea or activity targeted for learning. The analogy unites the two realms, the familiar with the as yet unknown, by pointing up any similarities between them and, if successful, leads onto some new learning adding to our previous store of knowledge. Like everything else in life analogies have their limitations and teachers must be aware of this. Analogies are not intrinsic to learning itself and do not guarantee it but they are an effective part of the process. No analogy produces a perfect match and if it is pushed beyond its logic it will break down like over stretching an elastic band which snaps and pings the holder. Certain factors apply here: the analogy must start by closely relating to the participants’ experience to be meaningful; it must enable uncomplicated transfer to the target knowledge or skill, it must ensure that the learning is achieved and ideally, it should assist in future recall. Having said that, it is a handy tool, a vital adjunct for learning and if well chosen and applied imaginatively, can be a powerful catalyst in any learning. In such circumstances, an analogy bridges difficulties in understanding or explaining and is also known to be very helpful in problem solving. Analogising is a fundamental part of thought and its expression because it helps in the formation of new knowledge so in that way is vital to creativity. In his book, Dr Bailey specifically focuses on the practical application of analogies in teaching and training across a wide range of subjects, with a bit of basic back up theory and models for guidance. Every attempt has been made to keep the discussion simple and succinct. There is a selection of analogical examples from his research as used by practitioners in a variety of learning situations and these are presented in alphabetical order for convenience and evaluated with the actual analogical use appearing in italics. The ‘Aha!’ in the title is the equivalent of the eureka moment when an analogy strikes home and the learners really get it and this is amply illustrated in many of those examples. This particular extract clearly demonstrates this: ‘In a horse riding lesson, trying to get the student to adopt the correct position in the saddle, the tutor says: “Let it go ... relax through the pelvic area ... think about it ... if you try and think swing ... exaggerate that position ... it’s a bit like a belly dancer... the softer you can be round there, (indicating with hands) the seat will become glued to the horse’s back ... keep breathing ... relax neck again ... keep thinking of that flow ... it’s almost like yoga really ...you have to keep the muscles relaxed and soft.”’ This explicitly instructs the rider by referring to something from our everyday experience (belly dancing) to help achieve the target skill learning (relaxed pelvis in the saddle). It is a simple physical to physical analogical match: belly dancing/relaxing pelvis. It is effective because it helps coach the learner to (a) immediately visualise the required posture and (b) adopt it within some clearer instructional guidelines. It is worth noting that the student is unable to adopt it until the analogy is made. The yoga example compounds the other one by emphasising the relaxation component. The author hopes all educators, especially those working in high schools, colleges or universities, will follow the guidance and apply their own analogies to bridge any learning difficulties for the benefit of their students’ learning.