STM - 1.2 - stages of learning

OK so the quest for self-mastery continues and now we have moved onto models of learning. This should be interesting for me given my work background (training developer).


So the first idea that is introduced is the stages of competence

1. unconscious incompetence - you don't know what you don't know, I am sure I a regularly unconsciously incompetent
2. conscious incompetence - you realise you don't know how to do something - I suspect this is where I currently am with straightness training
3. conscious competence - you are learning to do something, but it takes a great deal of mental effort to do it
4. unconscious competence - you can do something without needing to think about it - like driving a car

The second idea that is introduced is the levels of mastery - cognitive, emotional and then physical. I am not sure I would have automatically put them in that order (I would have poss put the last two the other way round) but M argues that first we learn the exercise, then we try it out and get feedback from mistakes, and finally physical mastery, which is a bit like unconscious competence as you do things without thinking as they are in your muscle memory.

The final idea introduced is Kolb's learning cycle. I almost didn't watch this module as I already know about Kolb from my L&D course. However, with the 'be the beginner learner' advise in mind I decided to watch it. I was surprised that the take on Kolb's cycle was so different to my understanding from my L&D course. IT has forced me to re-visit the Kolb cycle and realise I had got it wrong. I had gotten it muddled with the Honney and Mumford learning styles and made a strange hybrid in my mind. So there you have it, straightness training is now helping with my day job!

Anyhows, the actual Kolb cycle starts with a concrete experience - perhaps unsurprising, all learning happens because something happens that acts as a catalyst for learning eg a horse is spooks. The next stage is to reflect/observe, to try and work out what is going on eg it is scared of the puddle. Then you might go away and think about the problem and possibly do some research, eg how to habitulaize horses to puddles. This is referred to as the abstract conceptualisation phase. Once we have a theory you want to try it out, in active experimentation, eg what happens f I walk in the puddle first, which results in a new experience and so the cycle goes on.

Like Honney and Mumfords model, Kolbs suggests that people have a preferred learning style and do not often go through all the stages of the learning cycle to optimise their learning.  The Diverger prefers to watch and make comparisons, they may prefer to observe lessons rather than trial with their own horse. The assimilator will seek the big picture, and might prefer to study the modules rather than practice with the horse (which if you haven't already noticed is exactly what I am doing), . The converger will get stuck into the detail, practicing just one thing until it is perfect and the accommodator just wants to get stuck in and will trial lots of ideas with the horse without much direction. In order to make the most of our learning we need to do a bit of each. So at some point I really should do something with my ponies rather than just writing about it!

oo some self reflection questions, lets have a go:

Do you recognize yourself in a certain learning style?

Yup I am a it of an assimilator, but controversially in different situations I can also be a bit of an accommodator (theorist/activist on the Honney and Mumford model).

What has been the benefit for you form adopting that style?

My knowledge tends to be both broad and deep, I like to connect different theories together to deepen my understanding. The accommodator part of me allows me to crack on and try out ideas and be quite flexible in my thinking.

What is the downside for you if you don't embrace the other styles and stages?

Well I am not so extreme and do the other learning styles so it doesn't completely apply to me, but if I didn't watch and learn from others, or perfect anything then my learning would be severely limited to how much I manage to implement from reading a manual.

What are you going to do to develop the other styles?

Well I have already done a bit towards developing my reflective style, I have attended Roz Richmonds clinic as a spectator and have started being a voyeur on the fb evaluation page. As for the converger, the more practical I do the more I will get into refining the details and I am sure my natural accommodator will come out once I start doing some practical - it already has when I couldn't wait any longer and skipped ahead to practicing forward down - I'll put up the video of that at some point.