Exploring Skill Acquisition Strategies through Self-Learning
One of the most intriguing inquiries I enjoy posing is: What was the most recent skill you endeavored to learn independently? Delving into this question, I, Rommel, find the responses often revolve less around the actual skill and more about the driving force behind acquiring it. This query became a cornerstone for me during my tenure selecting participants for the NPR game show Ask Me Another.
As time has progressed, I find myself less frequently posing this question. Perhaps it’s due to my transition into my thirties, resulting in fewer encounters with new individuals. The impact of the pandemic may also play a role. Additionally, with the conclusion of Ask Me Another, I reminisce about my involvement in the show and the profound impact of “the question” in eliciting captivating responses from participants.
Former Contestants’ Motivations for Learning New Skills
When I contacted previous participants, I inquired about their recollections of their responses. Sam Cappoli, for instance, acquired the skill of driving a manual transmission vehicle, commonly known as “a stick.” Amy Paull, on the other hand, was in the process of training herself to perform a pull-up. Cappoli’s drive stemmed from his desire to finally grasp something his mother had attempted to teach him during his teenage years. Paull, on the other hand, aimed to enhance her strength to better contribute as a teammate in escape room challenges. However, both individuals encountered additional challenges along their learning journeys. Sam recognized that merely watching a few YouTube tutorials was insufficient for mastering driving, while Amy had to reassess her pull-up goal due to a shoulder condition.
Mastering a skill can be immensely rewarding. However, the question arises: why is acquiring new knowledge often so challenging?
Effective Strategies for Skill Acquisition
Perhaps the difficulty lies in the approach to learning. To overcome this challenge, it is essential to first identify the skill you wish to acquire. Subsequently, consider implementing the following skill acquisition strategies to enhance your learning process:
Prepare Yourself for Success
Aside from interviewing former participants of Ask Me Another about their experiences, I also engaged my 3-year-old daughter in a conversation about her recent learning achievements. She proudly shared that she can now independently switch on the lights. After persistent efforts over a couple of years, she has finally reached the height to access the switch and has honed the necessary fine motor skills to operate it. While this may seem like a simple task, mastering such skills is crucial, not only for her but for everyone, even if we tend to overlook it as a valuable skill.
Rachel Wu, an associate professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, delves into the study of skill acquisition strategies and the process of learning new skills throughout our lives. According to Wu, children and infants have a natural inclination towards learning due to their innate curiosity and receptiveness. Their eagerness to absorb knowledge stems from the fact that everything they encounter is significant and relevant in their learning journey.
Learning New Skills: Strategies for Skill Acquisition
In considering skill acquisition strategies, Wu emphasizes the importance of relevance to one’s life. Reflect on whether the skill you are trying to learn aligns with your goals and interests. Additionally, seek guidance from a skilled instructor who can effectively break down complex concepts into manageable steps.
Set a realistic timeline for mastering a new skill. Just like infants take time to develop language skills, allow yourself the necessary time to learn. Similar to how a baby gradually builds a vocabulary over a year, give yourself the space and patience to acquire new skills at a comfortable pace.
Experiment with Skill Acquisition Strategies
If you find yourself lacking motivation or facing obstacles in your skill acquisition journey, it’s time to tweak your approach. Try out different methods to enhance your learning process.
Consider Wu’s experience as an illustration. Wu is currently mastering the German language. Apart from attending classes at her workplace, she incorporated a unique technique into her routine. She began watching episodes of her beloved TV series, The Nanny, in German at a reduced speed of 50%.
“The Nanny was beneficial as it exposed me to everyday language and common phrases,” Wu explains.
Utilizing Skill Acquisition Strategies for Learning New Skills
Implementing effective skill acquisition strategies is crucial when venturing into learning new skills. One useful approach involves applying innovative methods, such as analyzing Pixar films and engaging with German audiobooks designed for children. This unique combination not only enhances the learning experience but also fosters a deeper understanding of the subject matter.
Embracing the concept of tinkering is essential in this process. It involves not only honing existing skills but also being prepared to start afresh if necessary. By maintaining an open mindset towards the possibility of beginning anew, individuals can navigate the learning journey more effectively.
Consider the inspiring journey of Nell Painter, a former Princeton professor and author of the book Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over. Despite being in her sixties, Painter pursued a bachelor’s degree and an MFA in painting. Reflecting on her experience, she highlights a transformative exercise from an early art class that reshaped her perspective on work and mistakes.
Painter recalls a technique where she would repeatedly draw, seek feedback, and adjust her artwork accordingly. Her teacher would often instruct her to erase and redraw certain elements, prompting her to refine her skills further. Through this iterative process of correction and improvement, Painter learned the valuable lesson that imperfections can be rectified, and not every piece has to be flawless.
In Painter’s words, “The lesson is you can rub out your work. It doesn’t all have to be a masterpiece. It doesn’t all have to be perfect, and it doesn’t all have to be preserved. You have the freedom to erase and refine your work until it meets your standards.”
Embrace Mistakes as Part of Skill Acquisition Strategies
Embracing mistakes is crucial in the process of learning new skills. Although making mistakes may not be our preference, they play a vital role in skill acquisition strategies.
Manu Kapur, a professor of learning sciences and higher education at ETH in Zurich, Switzerland, focuses on the benefits of renormalizing failure and the concept of productive failure. According to Kapur, allowing oneself to make mistakes is a challenging yet essential aspect of learning new skills.
Embracing the Process of Learning New Skills
“Remind yourself that learning new skills involves embracing the unknown. It’s okay not to grasp it immediately,” Kapur emphasizes. “During challenging times, acknowledge that being in this uncomfortable zone is necessary. Keep practicing until you feel at ease with the discomfort because that’s when true learning happens.”
If you’re hesitant about starting a language class or if fear of failure is holding you back from trying a new instrument, consider this your encouragement to push past your doubts and begin. Mistakes are part of the journey, and that’s perfectly fine. What truly matters is the effort you put into trying and learning along the way.
This episode’s audio was created by Andee Tagle, with technical assistance from Stuart Rushfield.
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