What are the advantages and disadvantages of using analogy exams?

Answer 1

PITFALLS IN USING ANALOGIES AND HOW TO AVOID THEM

However, an analogy is a double-edged sword in that uncritical use of it may lead to misconceptions. This is because there is no such thing as a perfect analogy, that is, it is almost always impossible to have a perfect one-to-one fit between the analog and the target. Some pupils may only remember the analog and not the target, while others may focus on irrelevant aspects of the analog to form incorrect ideas about the target (Cosgrove and Osborne 1985; Glynn 1989; Duit 1991).

One way of addressing problems associated with uncritical use of analogies is to adopt the six-step approach suggested by Harrison and Treagust (1994) which is based on a modification of Glynn's (1991) TWA (Teaching-With-Analogy) model.

Although the six steps below are numbered from 1 to 6, the numbering does not necessarily reflect the order in which the steps are to be carried out. Each step is important but the order in which the steps are employed depends on the individual teacher's style, the particular target concept, the analogy being used and the lesson structure that the teacher has in mind. The six steps are as follows:

1. Introduce the target concept to be learned.

2. Cue the pupils' memory of the analog.

3. Identify the relevant features of the analog.

4. Map out the similarities between the analog and the target.

5. Indicate where the analogy breaks down. Use of Analogy in Teaching 81

6. Draw conclusions about the target concept.

In the next section, an illustration of the use of this six-step approach in teaching the particulate theory of matter is given.

The following are some advantages of analogies:

They are valuable tools in conceptual change learning.

They provide visualisation and understanding of the abstract by pointing to similarities in the real world.

They may incite pupils' interest and hence have a motivational effect.

They force the teacher to take into consideration pupils' prior knowledge and may reveal misconceptions in previously taught topics.