Chapter 12Chapter 12

Stages of Learning

Stages of learning

• How did you feel on your first driving lesson?– Relaxed? Tense? Confused?

• What characterized your performance?– Error full? Error free?

• And how about the effort required?– Lots? Little?

Stages of learning

Fitts & Posner (1967)

Practice time

Cognitive stage

Associative stage

Autonomous stage

Cognitive:

Learning what the task requires Forming a correct template Highly effortful and drains attention

Stages of learning

Fitts & Posner (1967)

Practice time

Cognitive stage

Associative stage

Autonomous stage

Associative: Forming an association between the

task and relevant environmental cues

Fewer & smaller errors Less effortful; less draining on

attention

Stages of learning

Fitts & Posner (1967)

Practice time

Cognitive stage

Associative stage

Autonomous stage

Autonomous: Performance is automatic/habitual Few errors Minimal effort – so now you can

drive, talk on the phone, read a map, brush your teeth, floss, and eat chicken wings

What else changes with learning?• Rate of learning -

Power law of practice• Limb segment

coordination – freezing and freeing d. of f.

• Intrinsic dynamics• Muscles used• Energy used

• Kinematic features of movement– displacement, velocity,

acceleration (in that order)

• Visual attention• Conscious attention• Error detection and

correction

(See pages ???-??? in text – these are well explained)

Expertise

• Average time before attainment– Ericsson et al. (1993): 10 years @ about

5 hours p/day, 3-5 days p/wk. Eek.

• Features of…– More sophisticated knowledge – Different & more efficient use of vision

Does early success predict later achievement?

• Are those who succeed early the same as those who succeed ultimately?– Apparently not…

Does early success predict later achievement?

• And why not?– Ackerman (1992):

Ability type Stage of learning

General cognitive and broad-content

abilitiesPerceptual speed

abilities

Perceptual and motor abilities

Cognitive

Associative

Autonomous