Complex skill need more than “think what you do” aspect to improve

Complex Skills Need More Than the “Think What You Do” Aspect to Improve

Word to the wise

When doing a complex task, write a brief description of the activity on the top of the page above everything else.

This is as far as I can see another angle on the Interstitial Journaling

• The principle of “think about what you do” is not the best possible solution.
  • Perhaps there is something to this idea that is usually overlooked.
  • According to psychologists, there are other aspects to becoming better at whatever you are engaged in¹. Below, some of their ideas, that actually align with my practice, and some quite insightful.
• Focus on one aspect of the skill.
  • Skills are usually complex and require a juggling of attention, which can be confusing. So, instead of switching between tasks, pick one approach and apply it consistently. Hammer and nail.
  • This is why the first two lessons in a reading course are so effective; they focus on only one aspect per lesson. In contrast, paraphrasing and grokking involve several approaches.
• How to choose what aspect to train? In piano or martial arts, it’s straightforward; you start with the basics and gradually move to more complex stuff.
  • But what about cognitive tasks? It seems that science, and even biology, have played a role in determining this sequence.
    • With skills that lack a clear learning order, we should start with the basics, focusing on areas where we are less capable.
    • In reading, it’s skimming; in mind mapping – building a network of ideas from the text; in paraphrasing – reflection; in grokking – translating reflection into instructional text.
  • It means we have to work on it, and as soon as we master one aspect, move to another where we are less competent.
• Feedback is crucial in understanding where you are inept.
  • The lack of feedback is a significant gap in education. How can I provide consistent and sustainable feedback to a group of 30+ students? It’s nearly impossible.
  • If I start giving individual feedback, then what? How will this affect the pace of group work? Drastically, to say the least.
    • Perhaps I could review their work after we’ve finished, and record myself, or take notes on what I would have done differently.
    • I’d like to find a way to give feedback faster than word-by-word analysis.
  • This is a significant topic to consider, as it’s a huge obstacle in a way of improvement.
  • Students must be observed, and feedback provided at the moment help is needed.
• Change your approach when something isn’t working.
  • Don’t waste time repeating the same ineffective methods.
  • Instead of making small adjustments, consider completely reworking your approach.
    • This applies to my thoughts about future courses on how to read books. I plan to start by reshaping the course towards a graphical representation.
      • Brainstorming ideas.
      • Using graphical organizers.
      • Creating concept maps.
• Concentrate on the order of actions and how you perform them.
  • It might seem like trivial advice, but it’s crucial to focus intently on what you are doing.
  • The action should be engaging and immersive. It’s like scaffolding in skill acquisition.
    • As Galperin preached in his work, skill acquisition should be gradual.
    • Eventually, this leads to subconscious proficiency, a result of concentrated (intentional) effort, which is called experience.
    • That’s where lies the difference between intentional practice and mere activity.
    • This mental effort initially causes discomfort, but eventually leads to satisfaction.
      • If you’re not tired after practice, you’re probably not doing it correctly.
      • Moreover, if you experience frustration, what does that indicate to me as a coach? That you either don’t believe in the process, are not doing it correctly, or worse, find it all meaningless.
        • Which is a far more concerning issue.
• Plan your work. This might sound obvious, but it’s crucial for mastering complex skills.
  • These skills require significant time and effort.
  • The planning horizon should be measured in years, not months or weeks.
  • However, this can be flexible, possibly slightly less than a year, or a bit more, depending on the skill and efficiency of the practice sessions.

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Source:: Friend:: Child:: Next:: Homework About Training Complex Skills. Focusing on Experience and Self-Observation

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Footnotes

1. Brooks, Charles M., and Janice L. Ammons. “Free Riding in Group Projects and the E ects of Timing, Frequency, and Speci city of Criteria in Peer Assessments.” Journal of Education for Business 78, no. 5 (May 2003): 26872. https://doi.org/10.1080/08832320309598613. Ericsson, Anders, and Robert Pool. Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise. Boston: Houghton Mi in Harcourt, 2016. Ho, V. “Learning by Doing.” In Encyclopedia of Health Economics, edited by Anthony J. Culyer, 141–45. Amsterdam: Elsevier, 2014. Holyoak, Keith J., and Dušan Stamenković. “Metaphor Comprehension: A Critical Review of Theories and Evidence.” Psychological Bulletin 144, no. 6 (June 2018): 641–71. https://doi.org/10.1037/bul0000145. Long, Nicole, Brice A. Kuhl, and Marvin M. Chun. “Memory and Attention.” In Stevens’ Handbook of Experimental Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, 4th ed., Vol. 1, Language and Memory, edited by Elizabeth Phelps and Lila Davachi, 285–321. New York: Wiley, 2018. Morris, C. Donald, John D. Bransford, and Je ery J. Franks. “Levels of Processing Versus Transfer Appropriate Processing.” Journal of Verbal Learning and Verbal Behavior 16, no. 5 (October 1977): 519–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0022-5371(77)80016-9. Tulving, Endel, and Donald M. Thompson. “Encoding Speci city and Retrieval Processes in Episodic Memory.” Psychological Review 80, no. 5 (September 1973): 352–73. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0020071. ↩