Threshold Concepts, overcoming barriers
Ray Land, Jan H. F. Meyer, and Michael T. Flanagan (Eds.) have done a great job introducing the threshold Concepts. It comes with five parts that include Theoretical Directions, Negotiating Liminality, Threshold Concepts and Interdisciplinarity, The Doctoral Journey, and Threshold Concepts in Professional Practice. “It seeks authors who can demonstrate their understanding of discourses of the knowledge and learning economies.” (Land et al., 2016). The barriers to education can be daunting especially when it becomes increasingly expensive while finding employment to match the cost of learning seems impossible at times. Land explains regarding the book that they were interested in finding out why some very talented student still gets stuck with certain aspects of their learning.
Great questions indeed, it must be Socrates who said that understanding a question is half an answer and questions become a great starting point for solutions to many of the issues we struggle with daily. I get it, like others who come from impoverished communities I have seen enough challenges to education. I became the first person to earn higher education credentials and speak (or attempt to speak) foreign languages probably not only in my family but also in my clan. Given the circumstances, it was by God’s grace through the generosity of his amazing people that I could make it past elementary school. John C. Maxwell says that a leader knows the way, goes the way, and shows the way. Partnering with students while attempting to help them overcome barriers is likely the best way to provide them with needed support.
In Overcoming barriers to Student Understanding edited by Jan H. F. Meyer and Ray Land, they share the troublesome nature of opportunity cost. (Meyer & Land, 2006) ‘Opportunity cost is the evaluation placed on the most highly valued of the rejected alternatives or opportunities’ (Eatwell et al., 1998, Vol. 3, p. 719). (Meyer & Land, 2006) It was yesterday while the story popped up on my computer, “Lawsuit aims to stop Biden’s student loan forgiveness plan” Demetrius Freeman/The Washington Post. This lawsuit if successful will block President Biden’s plan to cancel some students’ debt. The story reminded me of the challenge many students go through wondering whether to incur debt for education or simply give up and forget higher education altogether. When it comes to politics there are plenteous details and motives I dare not to explore here. There is no question that those willing to keep others oppressed in one way or another would wish to keep them uneducated.
“We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.” Martin Luther King, Jr. Speaking of voices for freedom from slavery, genocide, holocaust, and other atrocities, education has been a great vehicle at work leading to the highly needed reliefs. There is no doubt that education has been an influential vehicle of hope in many areas of leadership where individuals and communities stood up and worked together for strength to freedom from various forms of oppression. Sometimes, teachers and experts do unfortunately overcomplicate things. “We understand the language we get it. We speak in that language, which illuminates nothing and obscures everything.”(Robert Coven, 2022).
The modeling aspect of education as shared by Coven is a great one where teachers commit to empathic presence, not only remembering what it was to be in the student’s seat but giving a room, a chance for students to research, try, fail, and learn. “My colleague and I decided to try something new, which is modeling, which is to have students take the onus of learning upon themselves to try and create theory” (Robert Coven, 2022).
Land, R., Meyer, J. H. F., & Flanagan, M. T. (Eds.). (2016). Threshold concepts in practice. Sense Publishers.
Meyer, J., & Land, R. (2006). Overcoming Barriers to Student Understanding (0 ed.). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780203966273
Robert Coven (Director). (2022, October 2). Breaking Through: Threshold Concepts as a Key to Understanding | [YouTube]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCPYSKSFky4
About the Author
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe
Jean de Dieu Ndahiriwe is a Clinical Correctional Chaplain and former Child Refugee from War-torn Rwanda. A member of the Maxwell Leadership Certified Team, Jean is passionate about Servant Leadership and looks forward to seeing more leaders that inspire Lasting Peace and Justice for all, especially "the least of these".8 responses to “Threshold Concepts, overcoming barriers”
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Education as an avenue to freedom has long been a fight. I am fortunate enough to have been raised in a community where there were actual civil rights advocates that helped to break barriers in education. I strongly agree that communities that lack resources are the ones affected most educationally. The problem has been identified over and over again but no clear solution has come from the findings.
Shonell,
Education is a blessing indeed and civil right advocates make a difference in bringing to light a multitude of issues. Will there be a time where every problem is solved?
It will probably take more than advocacy, becoming doers of the challenging tasks and getting into the shoes of those affected; we must be much closer as we take on various challenges in our NPOs.
Jean,
Great quote by Socrates in your post. It succinctly captures the essence of the TEDx Cary Academy presentation. Questions provide the starting point.
I wholeheartedly agree that partnering with students to help them overcome barriers to education is vital. What are some of the barriers impoverished students face today? And the second part, do you find that there is a growing number of young people who have no desire for higher education?
Audrey
Audrey,
Barriers to education are numerous and vary from place to place. Poverty and civil conflicts are chief among them especially home in Sub-Saharan Africa. Our recent journey through Cape Town did present us some of those; most of the young kids we saw across the city selling small items or simply asking for food lack the opportunity to meaningful education. Some are South Africans and others come from more poor communities all over Africa hoping to make a better life in South Africa. It is a little different in the West I think, looking at the young kids in America; I don’t see them as eager to go to school as those on the other side in Africa.
Jean – Your personal story of overcoming significant challenges to pursue education is inspiring. I appreciate you sharing that. It made me wonder if resilience is in some way connected to understanding threshold concepts. For example, is someone who has strong resilience (the ability to persevere when life gets tough) more easily able to understand threshold concepts because they have a stronger innate drive or will to push through? I’d love to hear your thoughts on that question!
Hi Laura,
Thanks for the input. I agree with your observation, resilience is connected to understanding threshold concepts. I think I have become very resilient along the way. I have come to agree with Nietzsche “He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.” Life is a journey, and our Maker is making us along the way for that purpose, that plan, the desired tasks he has designed us to fulfill and there is no challenge he can’t use to take us where he wants to be.
Jean,
It was fascinating to watch your from from Socrates to John Maxwell, and then Dr. King.
I know you speak French and English, what other languages do you know?
Alana,
I heard someone say Leaders are Readers. I love how Dr. Clark is helping us become better leaders by getting into multiple books simultaneously.
Below are the languages I speak some better than others.
Kinyarwanda
Kirundi
Swahili
French
English
Luganda
Runyankole
Rutooro
Rukiga.
The last 4 languages are spoken in Uganda.