In learning, transfer is the ability to apply knowledge or a skill learned in one setting to a new problem or context. It differs from recalling an answer or performing well on a familiar exercise: transfer shows whether understanding can be used when the task changes.
Transfer matters when evaluating educational tools because a system may help a student complete an immediate task without building skills they can use independently later. In practice, educators assess it with new problems that require applying previously learned ideas. In cybersecurity, the same general concept describes carrying a skill or technique from one environment to another—for example, an attacker adapting a known method to a different target, or a defender applying lessons from one incident to improve protections elsewhere.