Writing Thresholds: A Website about Threshold Concepts in Writing Studies
Threshold Concepts
Threshold concepts are a pedagogical idea first introduced by economists Jan Meyer and Ray Land. A threshold concept prompts learners to think differently about a subject. They cross a “threshold” to a whole new way of understanding, like crossing a portal into a whole new dimension of thought. A threshold concept offers a new way to approach knowledge making in a discipline, leading the learner to a “transformed way of understanding” (Meyer & Land, 2003). At their best, threshold concepts make learners better able to grasp a concept for themselves (Entwistle, 2008) and adapt to new demands in a field.
Since Meyer and Land’s introduction, threshold concepts have been taken up in many disciplines. They’ve proved useful in economics, mathematics, computer programming, writing (more on this in another tab), information literacy, anthropology. A big part of education involves learning to think differently. This happens in all realms of academic (and non-academic) thought and across grade/age levels.
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Transformative and Troublesome
Threshold concepts can be difficult to learn. Changing one’s mind does not happen instantly. Meyer and Land (2006) emphasized that learners encounter troublesome knowledge when they approach their threshold moment. What they learn throws their previous understanding off-balance and challenges their preconceptions. Learners enter what we call a “liminal space” between what they knew before and what they’re learning. It takes time to re-wire one’s thinking to accommodate this new knowledge. Once learners grasp the new ideas, however, what they know transforms their thinking forever.
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Example 1: Playing a Game
Example 2: The Portal
