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Threshold Concepts & Troublesome Knowledge This term is used to identify some oft-observed realities of human development in order to incorporate them into higher education in a meaningful manner. When in doubt: start with identification and definition of the individual components. A Threshold' is a portal, or entry point, or even limit, between This' and That. (Very scholarly-I know.] Troublesome Knowledge' is a term that refers to knowledge that, once learned, may make the learner uneasy-for a variety of reasons. The ideas, when strung together, refer to specific concepts that, once understood, make it virtually impossible to 'turn back the clock' and pretend the individual did not know this after all. The knowledge that is associated with understanding this threshold frequently is something that is uncomfortable. One difficulty is in identifying these thresholds accurately, at a given time in education. All humans develop at different rates. Some have passed a threshold concept [and its' attendant troublesome knowledge] before their colleague was able to spell threshold. Others will not experience it until these ideas are discussed in class, or occur in their life. Some may never accept the knowledge that is required to move beyond the threshold [as it may be too troublesome for them]. Some of these thresholds are very common-and others are unique to a discipline of education. The following two examples are generally shared ones by the time a student has enrolled in a college course-and an analysis of the response of the reader should identify the parts that are threshold and those that are troublesome. At a specific point in childhood, every child eventually discovers that its parent will die. The love [hopefully] that has been shared with the child will end. The relationship will be over. Prior to an understanding of mortality, the young person never questions if their parent will be there, or even for how long they will be there. It just 'is'. The threshold concept would be human mortality, and the troublesome knowledge would be that their parent will one day be absent from their life. Another example is human sexuality/reproduction. Most young people seem to have some interest in this process, for a variety of reasons. Human sexuality/reproduction may not seem like such a dramatic idea that it qualifies as a Threshold Concept. Yet, it does-especially when the focus is shifted away from the youth/adolescent/teenager/etc. and to the concept 'writ large'. Most people understand the concept and many [should I say 'most'?] youths [pre-25 year olds] seem very intrigued, as far as it relates to them, their peer groups or their celebrities. What moves it clearly into the realm of Threshold Concept and Troublesome

Threshold Concepts & Troublesome Knowledge This term is used to identify some oft-observed realities of human development in order to incorporate them into higher education in a meaningful manner. When in doubt: start with identification and definition of the individual components. A Threshold' is a portal, or entry point, or even limit, between This' and That. (Very scholarly-I know.] Troublesome Knowledge' is a term that refers to knowledge that, once learned, may make the learner uneasy-for a variety of reasons. The ideas, when strung together, refer to specific concepts that, once understood, make it virtually impossible to 'turn back the clock' and pretend the individual did not know this after all. The knowledge that is associated with understanding this threshold frequently is something that is uncomfortable. One difficulty is in identifying these thresholds accurately, at a given time in education. All humans develop at different rates. Some have passed a threshold concept [and its' attendant troublesome knowledge] before their colleague was able to spell threshold. Others will not experience it until these ideas are discussed in class, or occur in their life. Some may never accept the knowledge that is required to move beyond the threshold [as it may be too troublesome for them]. Some of these thresholds are very common-and others are unique to a discipline of education. The following two examples are generally shared ones by the time a student has enrolled in a college course-and an analysis of the response of the reader should identify the parts that are threshold and those that are troublesome. At a specific point in childhood, every child eventually discovers that its parent will die. The love [hopefully] that has been shared with the child will end. The relationship will be over. Prior to an understanding of mortality, the young person never questions if their parent will be there, or even for how long they will be there. It just 'is'. The threshold concept would be human mortality, and the troublesome knowledge would be that their parent will one day be absent from their life. Another example is human sexuality/reproduction. Most young people seem to have some interest in this process, for a variety of reasons. Human sexuality/reproduction may not seem like such a dramatic idea that it qualifies as a Threshold Concept. Yet, it does-especially when the focus is shifted away from the youth/adolescent/teenager/etc. and to the concept 'writ large'. Most people understand the concept and many [should I say 'most'?] youths [pre-25 year olds] seem very intrigued, as far as it relates to them, their peer groups or their celebrities. What moves it clearly into the realm of Threshold Concept and Troublesome

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Write a short answer explaining the threshold concepts.
Knowledge would be its application to how the individual arrived on the planet, and how it applies to their parent/s lives at the moment of understanding. Most students in my classroom have found the idea of their parents engaging in these activities at bit troublesome', but they acknowledge it had to occur for the student to exist. What is even more 'troublesome' for these students is to apply this behavior pattern to their parents- AT THIS TIME. For some reason, 18-25 years olds seem to have a strong reaction to their parents 'getting funky'. If the term 'engaging in intimate behavior' is used, they are more accepting-even if they use the previous term for those activities when it is with peers or themselves. The realization of a parent's sexuality/sensuality/engagement in reproductive activities is troublesome to some people, as they do not want to think of their parents 'doing THAT'. These are two simple examples. Yet, in History, there are thousands of thresholds with commensurate thousands of troublesome knowledge associated with it. In US History, a threshold for some is that Pocahontas was not romantically involved with John Smith, and was about 9 when John Smith arrived [Disney didn't get the note about age]. Another example, which has more troublesome knowledge associated with it, is that Thomas Jefferson probably had at least five children with his slave, Sally Hemings. [She was also his half sister-in-law as well.] For World Civilizations, there are hosts of others, beginning with most world religions. The idea that a religion is a belief sýstem that has no ultimate way of proving its' claims about the deity/ies it focuses upon is a threshold concept for many. It may be true that there is evidence to prove people did something at a location described in a holy document, at about the time it was done, but there is ultimately no outside corroboration for the participation of any specific spiritual being. Those who have no problem with the concept of the 'burning bush', for example, have been openly critical of golden tablets of reformed Egyptian that provide another guidebook. In both cases, there is no outside corroboration [defined as someone who does not have a stake in the acceptance of the statement] of the events described. This leads to another concept that will be developed later. Specifically, the idea that humans are infinitely reasons, and frequently a variety of reasons for each act. Yet, these complex entities who act for a variety same humans may not be willing or able to share the 'true' reason they acted a specific way. What this means is that humans have a propensity for phrasing a narrative of events in a manner that suites their own [open or subconscious) agenda. As a scholar, it is thus imperative to question all documents and evaluate all claims-not just to blindly accept. נ נם P
Transcribed Image Text:Knowledge would be its application to how the individual arrived on the planet, and how it applies to their parent/s lives at the moment of understanding. Most students in my classroom have found the idea of their parents engaging in these activities at bit troublesome', but they acknowledge it had to occur for the student to exist. What is even more 'troublesome' for these students is to apply this behavior pattern to their parents- AT THIS TIME. For some reason, 18-25 years olds seem to have a strong reaction to their parents 'getting funky'. If the term 'engaging in intimate behavior' is used, they are more accepting-even if they use the previous term for those activities when it is with peers or themselves. The realization of a parent's sexuality/sensuality/engagement in reproductive activities is troublesome to some people, as they do not want to think of their parents 'doing THAT'. These are two simple examples. Yet, in History, there are thousands of thresholds with commensurate thousands of troublesome knowledge associated with it. In US History, a threshold for some is that Pocahontas was not romantically involved with John Smith, and was about 9 when John Smith arrived [Disney didn't get the note about age]. Another example, which has more troublesome knowledge associated with it, is that Thomas Jefferson probably had at least five children with his slave, Sally Hemings. [She was also his half sister-in-law as well.] For World Civilizations, there are hosts of others, beginning with most world religions. The idea that a religion is a belief sýstem that has no ultimate way of proving its' claims about the deity/ies it focuses upon is a threshold concept for many. It may be true that there is evidence to prove people did something at a location described in a holy document, at about the time it was done, but there is ultimately no outside corroboration for the participation of any specific spiritual being. Those who have no problem with the concept of the 'burning bush', for example, have been openly critical of golden tablets of reformed Egyptian that provide another guidebook. In both cases, there is no outside corroboration [defined as someone who does not have a stake in the acceptance of the statement] of the events described. This leads to another concept that will be developed later. Specifically, the idea that humans are infinitely reasons, and frequently a variety of reasons for each act. Yet, these complex entities who act for a variety same humans may not be willing or able to share the 'true' reason they acted a specific way. What this means is that humans have a propensity for phrasing a narrative of events in a manner that suites their own [open or subconscious) agenda. As a scholar, it is thus imperative to question all documents and evaluate all claims-not just to blindly accept. נ נם P
Threshold Concepts & Troublesome Knowledge This term is used to identify some oft-observed realities of human development in order to incorporate them into higher education in a meaningful manner. When in doubt: start with identification and definition of the individual components. A 'Threshold' is a portal, or entry point, or even limit, between This' and That. (Very scholarly-I know.] 'Troublesome Knowledge' is a term that refers to knowledge that, once learned, may make the learner uneasy-for a variety of reasons. The ideas, when strung together, refer to specific concepts that, once understood, make it virtually impossible to 'turn back the clock' and pretend the individual did not know this after all. The knowledge that is associated with understanding this threshold frequently is something that is uncomfortable. One difficulty is in identifying these thresholds accurately, at a given time in education. All humans develop at different rates. Some have passed a threshold concept [and its' attendant troublesome knowledge] before their colleague was able to spell threshold. Others will not experience it until these ideas are discussed in class, or occur in their life. Some may never accept the knowledge that is required to move beyond the threshold [as it may be too troublesome for them). Some of these thresholds are very common-and others are unique to a discipline of education. The following two examples are generally shared ones by the time a student has enrolled in a college course-and an analysis of the response of the reader should identify the parts that are threshold and those that are troublesome. At a specific point in childhood, every child eventually discovers that its parent will die. The love [hopefully] that has been shared with the child will end. The relationship will be over. Prior to an understanding of mortality, the young person never questions if their parent will be there, or even for how long they will be there. It just 'is'. The threshold concept would be human mortality, and the troublesome knowledge would be that their parent will one day be absent from their life. Another example is human sexuality/reproduction. Most young people seem to have some interest in this process, for a variety of reasons. Human sexuality/reproduction may not seem like such a dramatic idea that it qualifies as a Threshold Concept. Yet, it does-especially when the focus is shifted away from the youth/adolescent/teenager/etc. and to the concept 'writ large'. Most people understand the concept and many (should I say 'most'?] youths (pre-25 year olds) seem very intrigued, as far as it relates to them, their peer groups or their celebrities. What moves it clearly into the realm of Threshold Concept and Troublesome
Transcribed Image Text:Threshold Concepts & Troublesome Knowledge This term is used to identify some oft-observed realities of human development in order to incorporate them into higher education in a meaningful manner. When in doubt: start with identification and definition of the individual components. A 'Threshold' is a portal, or entry point, or even limit, between This' and That. (Very scholarly-I know.] 'Troublesome Knowledge' is a term that refers to knowledge that, once learned, may make the learner uneasy-for a variety of reasons. The ideas, when strung together, refer to specific concepts that, once understood, make it virtually impossible to 'turn back the clock' and pretend the individual did not know this after all. The knowledge that is associated with understanding this threshold frequently is something that is uncomfortable. One difficulty is in identifying these thresholds accurately, at a given time in education. All humans develop at different rates. Some have passed a threshold concept [and its' attendant troublesome knowledge] before their colleague was able to spell threshold. Others will not experience it until these ideas are discussed in class, or occur in their life. Some may never accept the knowledge that is required to move beyond the threshold [as it may be too troublesome for them). Some of these thresholds are very common-and others are unique to a discipline of education. The following two examples are generally shared ones by the time a student has enrolled in a college course-and an analysis of the response of the reader should identify the parts that are threshold and those that are troublesome. At a specific point in childhood, every child eventually discovers that its parent will die. The love [hopefully] that has been shared with the child will end. The relationship will be over. Prior to an understanding of mortality, the young person never questions if their parent will be there, or even for how long they will be there. It just 'is'. The threshold concept would be human mortality, and the troublesome knowledge would be that their parent will one day be absent from their life. Another example is human sexuality/reproduction. Most young people seem to have some interest in this process, for a variety of reasons. Human sexuality/reproduction may not seem like such a dramatic idea that it qualifies as a Threshold Concept. Yet, it does-especially when the focus is shifted away from the youth/adolescent/teenager/etc. and to the concept 'writ large'. Most people understand the concept and many (should I say 'most'?] youths (pre-25 year olds) seem very intrigued, as far as it relates to them, their peer groups or their celebrities. What moves it clearly into the realm of Threshold Concept and Troublesome
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