Evidence Based Practice: Analogies and Mental Models

Karyn Turla

What is it? 

The mental models students create can greatly impact their ability to learn. 

When to use it? 

All the time. Instructors can expand and adapt the existing mental models of students to promote and enhance the learning of concepts. 

Summary of Technique 

 “Mental models in teaching are the internal representations that students have of the world and how it works. These models are developed based on students' prior experiences, knowledge, and beliefs. Mental models can be accurate or inaccurate, and they can have a significant impact on students' learning. 

Mental models are important in teaching because they help students to understand new concepts and ideas. When students are able to connect new information to their existing mental models, they are more likely to learn and remember it. Additionally, mental models can help students to solve problems and make predictions. 

Teachers can help students to develop accurate and effective mental models by: 

• Eliciting students' prior knowledge and beliefs about a topic before introducing new information. 
• Providing students with clear and concise explanations of new concepts and ideas. 
• Using analogies and metaphors to help students to connect new information to their existing mental models. 
• Giving students opportunities to apply new knowledge and skills to real-world problems and situations. 
• Encouraging students to reflect on their own mental models and to identify any areas where they may need to revise their thinking. 

Here are some examples of mental models in teaching: 

• A student's mental model of the water cycle might include the idea that water evaporates from the oceans, rises into the atmosphere, condenses into clouds, and falls back to the earth as precipitation. 
• A student's mental model of the solar system might include the idea that the sun is at the center of the solar system and that the planets orbit around it in elliptical paths. 

• A student's mental model of the fraction 1/2 might include the idea that it represents one-half of a whole. 

Mental models can be complex and challenging to change. However, by understanding how mental models work, teachers can develop more effective teaching strategies that help students to learn and grow”. (Direct quote from https://www.quora.com/What-are-mental-models-in-teaching) 

Links to Resources 

https://jamesclear.com/feynman-mental-models 

https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/mental-models  

https://nesslabs.com/mental-models 

https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/designing-learning-for-mental-models/  

Personal Experience 

I use a variety of visuals to help develop my students' develop mental models of physiological processes. I use words, pictures, flow charts, concept maps, Venne diagrams, digital animations, stories, and graphs, usually in combination, to develop and modify their mental models.  

Reference List 

Coll, R.K. (2006). The Role of Models, Mental Models and Analogies in Chemistry Teaching. In: Aubusson, P.J., Harrison, A.G., Ritchie, S.M. (eds) Metaphor and Analogy in Science Education. Science & Technology Education Library, vol 30. Springer, Dordrecht. (https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3830-5_6 ) 

Liang, Neng, Wang, Jiaqian Wang. Implicit Mental Models in Teaching Cases: An Empirical Study of Popular MBA Cases in the United States and China. Academy of Management Learning & Education. Vol 3, No.4. 2017. (https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2004.15112545) 

Seel, N.M., Al-Diban, S., Blumschein, P. (2000). Mental Models & Instructional Planning. In: Spector, J.M., Anderson, T.M. (eds) Integrated and Holistic Perspectives on Learning, Instruction and Technology. Springer, Dordrecht. (https://doi.org/10.1007/0-306-47584-7_8)  

Young, Scott. (2022) Ten Metal Models For Learning. (https://www.scotthyoung.com/blog/2022/09/19/learning-mental-models/)