Which strategy involves drawing connections between new information and previously learned material?

The strategy that involves drawing connections between new information and previously learned material is best represented by the concept of analogies. Analogies help learners by relating unfamiliar concepts to familiar ones, thereby enhancing their understanding and retention of new ideas. When students draw parallels between different subjects or experiences, they create cognitive links that facilitate deeper comprehension and knowledge transfer.

This method encourages learners to engage with the material actively, as they are not only attempting to memorize information but also to understand how it relates to what they already know. By making these connections, analogies can aid in problem-solving and critical thinking, as they allow learners to apply their existing knowledge in new contexts.

Other strategies, such as connection theory and relational learning, also emphasize connecting new information to existing knowledge, but they do so in different ways or with different focal points. Concept mapping is a visual representation of the relationships between concepts that help organize knowledge but does not necessarily focus on creating connections through familiar comparisons like analogies do. Therefore, analogies are uniquely suited for this particular strategy of linking new and prior knowledge.