Analogy and structure-mapping in spatial learning

Objectives and content

  1. The first objective is to describe structure-mapping theory (Gentner, 1983; Gentner & Markman, 1997) as an approach to spatial cognition and learning. Structure-mapping allows us to capture abstract similarity relations, such as the relation between a map and a landscape, or between a diagram and the device it represents. The use of structure-mapping will be illustrated with examples.
  2. The second objective is to describe applications of structure-mapping in teaching and learning. I will illustrate with studies showing how comparison and contrast can help learners acquire spatial insights.

Target audience: Psychologists, educators, and others interested in spatial cognition and learning