S u m m a r y

 

Suomala J & Kiili K (2006)

Analogical thinking and teaching

Psykologia 41: 185&endash;195. Vammala ISSN 0355-1067.

 

Life as learning and inventing are typical features of the information society. The use of analogies is common in creative thinking and learning. In this paper, we present the basic structure of analogical thinking, Holyoak's and Thagard's theory about analogies (1989, 1995) and some didactic examples of analogical teaching. We try to point out that analogies can be utilized to understand complex phenomena. Here it is important to pay attention to the structure of a target, the relations between the elements and the relations between the causal relations. Learning the deep-structure of new phenomena takes time. The use of analogies is no exception, but teaching its conscious use provides students with thinking skills needed in the information society.

 

Key Words:

Analogy, learning, inventing, cognitive didactics.

 

Jyrki Suomala, Ph.D (educ.), Laurea-ammattikorkeakoulu. Kristian Kiili, M.A. (educ.), Tampere University of Technology, Pohjoisranta 11, P.O. Box 300, FIN-28101 Pori, Finland. e-mail: krikii@pori.tut.fi