Concept Learning

Concept learning is the process of categorizing objects and experiences to form abstract representations of categories. It's also known as category learning, concept attainment, or concept formation. [1]

Concept learning is a critical aspect of cognition that involves:

• Extracting commonalities
• Highlighting distinctions
• Building organized knowledge
• Facilitating generalization, discrimination, and inference [1, 2]

Here are some ways to teach concept learning: [3]

Provide examples

Give students examples of a concept and ask them to find common attributes and write their own definitions. [3]

Ask students to generate examples

Share a concept and ask students to generate their own examples or non-examples. [3]

Explore concepts through different content

Have students explore concepts through different content and perspectives. For example, have students study symphony orchestras and bus timetables to build an understanding of systems. [4]

Generative AI is experimental.

[1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/social-sciences/concept-learning

[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6794919/

[3] https://www.edutopia.org/article/3-ways-boost-students-conceptual-thinking/

[4] https://www.inspiringinquiry.com/learningteaching/concept-based-learning