Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!mcvax!ukc!eagle.ukc.ac.uk!icdoc!ivax!sme
From: sme@ivax.doc.ic.ac.uk (Steve M Easterbrook)
Newsgroups: comp.ai
Subject: A reference on use of alternative metaphors/analogies
Keywords: analogy, metaphor, knowledge acquisition, learning
Message-ID: <488@gould.doc.ic.ac.uk>
Date: 1 Nov 88 11:56:07 GMT
Sender: news@doc.ic.ac.uk
Reply-To: sme@doc.ic.ac.uk (Steve M Easterbrook)
Organization: Dept. of Computing, Imperial College, London, UK.
Lines: 20
References:

Hi. I am trying to recall the reference to a paper I read a while ago
which discussed the use of analogies in learning. In particular this
paper showed how different metaphors can be used to illustrate different
features of the same concept. I think the example used was that of the
behaviour of gas molecules, using such metaphors as crowded rooms, etc
to help understand such concepts as pressure. Or it might have been the
one which used an example of explaining how a variable works by
comparing it to a box, amongst other things. However, I may be mixing
these examples up with other papers on analogy.

The reason I am trying to recall this paper is because I am studying
how experts might use different abstractions of a concept when
explaining it to a knowledge engineer, where the explanations at
first appear to be in conflict, but the experts really agree with
each other at a deep level.

Any related references anyone can point me towards would be most
useful. Ta.

Steve