{"id":6281,"date":"2019-12-08T22:26:51","date_gmt":"2019-12-08T22:26:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/?p=6281"},"modified":"2024-06-01T22:23:21","modified_gmt":"2024-06-01T22:23:21","slug":"stages-of-learning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/stages-of-learning\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Stages of Learning (Levels of Learning Ladder)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:2px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><summary>\u27a1\ufe0f Video Lesson: Introduction to The Stages of Competence<\/summary>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"The Four Levels of Competence (Explained in 2 Minutes)\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/aFSaUEuiWpc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:2px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><summary>\u27a1\ufe0f Study Card<\/summary>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"724\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/five-stages-of-learning-1024x724.jpg\" alt=\"five stages of learning, explained below\" class=\"wp-image-33436\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/five-stages-of-learning-1024x724.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/five-stages-of-learning-300x212.jpg 300w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/five-stages-of-learning-768x543.jpg 768w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/five-stages-of-learning.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:2px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><summary>\u27a1\ufe0f Introduction<\/summary>\n<p>In educational psychology and sport coaching, there are 5 stages of learning or \u2018levels of learning\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>These are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unconscious incompetence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conscious incompetence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conscious competence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unconscious competence.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conscious unconscious competence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>As a learner moves through the 5 stages, they develop increasing <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/competence-examples\/\">levels of competence and skill<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<details class=\"wp-block-details is-layout-flow wp-block-details-is-layout-flow\" style=\"border-width:2px;margin-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);margin-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-top:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-right:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-bottom:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30);padding-left:var(--wp--preset--spacing--30)\"><summary>\u27a1\ufe0f Infographic<\/summary>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image alignwide size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"656\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/levels-of-knowledge-chart-1024x656.jpg\" alt=\"a chart listing the levels of knowledge with explanations\" class=\"wp-image-16438\" srcset=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/levels-of-knowledge-chart-1024x656.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/levels-of-knowledge-chart-300x192.jpg 300w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/levels-of-knowledge-chart-768x492.jpg 768w, https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/levels-of-knowledge-chart.jpg 1127w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/details>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The 5 Stages of Learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 1: Unconscious Incompetence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">Unconscious incompetence is the stage of learning where the learner knows nothing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>They are both incompetent and do not know that they are incompetent at the topic. This is because the learner \u201cdoesn\u2019t know what they don\u2019t know\u201d. We might also call this stage a <em>state of ignorance<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A student just starting school who doesn\u2019t realize the importance of schooling. They say \u201cwhy do I have to learn this useless stuff?\u201d<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Consumers who are currently unaware that they need a product. Marketing departments have to find a way to <a href=\"https:\/\/murraydare.co.uk\/content-marketing\/content-entertain-educate-inform\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">educate consumers<\/a> about why they need something before they will purchase it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Emotions at this Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this stage, the learner may feel:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Frustrated that they need to learn the topic.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Confused about the <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/relevance-examples\/\">relevance of the topic<\/a> to them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of the Educator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In stage 1, the role of the educator is to help the student learn <em>why <\/em>the topic is worth studying. It is a good idea to spark interest and <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/intrinsic-vs-extrinsic-motivation\/\">motivation to learn<\/a> at this stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 2: Conscious Incompetence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">At the conscious incompetence stage, the learner becomes aware of their own inabilities. This can be a motivating stage because the learner knows that there\u2019s something they need to learn and they want to go about learning it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, the learner may also go through some frustration at this stage because they are trying to achieve a skill or <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/levels-of-knowledge\/\">level of knowledge<\/a> that they cannot yet reach. The learner is aware of their own inadequacy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A student who seeks out a coach or trainer because they know that they have a lot to learn, and cannot learn it alone.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Emotions at this Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Frustration at their incompetence at a task they\u2019d like to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Motivation to learn.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unsure about how to go about learning the topic.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of the Educator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In stage 2, the educator works hard to help the learner develop their skills. They will provide a great deal of support and modelling to help the student until they can achieve a point where they can do the task on their own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/teaching-strategies\/\">Teaching strategies<\/a> like <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/guided-practice\/\">guided practice<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/direct-instruction-examples\/\">direct instruction<\/a> and modelling can help learners progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Sage 3: Conscious Competence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">When a student achieves conscious competence, they are able to do a task on their own and without teacher support. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, they still need to focus very hard on the task to minimize mistakes. The abilities are not yet habitual or built-into their reflexive memory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A learner driver, who knows the theory behind driving and has a few hours under their belt. They still have some trouble changing gears and need to repeat under their breath the steps they need to follow when starting or turning off a car.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Emotions at this Stage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Hopefulness as the student starts seeing results.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Determination to get over the last few hurdles.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Awkwardness (at times) when needing to pause and think before progressing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of the Educator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Ample practice and experience is necessary for reaching the upper stages of learning. As Malcolm Gladwell argues in <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Outliers_(book)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em>Outliers<\/em><\/a>, expertise requires 10,000 hours of practice!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 4: Unconscious Competence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">By the time someone reaches unconscious competence, they are able to carry out a task without much effort. They have enough experience with it that it becomes second nature. We might say that they have reached mastery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When people are unconsciously competent, we often refer to them as entering a <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Flow_(psychology)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">flow state<\/a>. The state of flow, as explained by <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Mihaly_Csikszentmihalyi\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Mih\u00e1ly Cs\u00edkszentmih\u00e1lyi<\/a> in 1975, involves the hyperfocus of someone who is \u2018in the zone\u2019 and going about their tasks without pausing to think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The \u2018unconsciousness\u2019 of the learner\u2019s skill at this level is often also called <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/tacit-knowledge-examples\/\">tacit knowledge<\/a>. People with tacit knowledge often can\u2019t explain how they do things: they can just do it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Master musicians, playing elegant and flowing music.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>An expert video game player who is expertly navigating around their gaming microworld.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A person who has been a practitioner for 20 years and can do tasks, but perhaps cannot explain how they can do them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of the Educator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this stage, the educator is completely removed from the situation because <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/mastery-learning\/\">the student has reached mastery<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stage 5: Conscious Unconscious Competence<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"featurebox\">The fifth stage has been added in recent years by educational psychologists. It is a stage that involves the ability to reflect upon the task and start dissecting how to educate others on how to complete the task. This is the <em>educator\u2019s stage<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This stage requires a return to consciousness of how they do a task. However, it is not consciousness based on uncertainty or lack of habituality (such as in Stage 3).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead, it is a stage in which the practitioner can critically reflect on how they do things so well, and unpick their strategies to teach them to others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Examples<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A practitioner who takes up a professorship at a university to begin teaching their skill to others.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A retired sportsperson who becomes a coach to future generations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Role of the Educator<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At this stage, the student becomes the teacher. Their job is to break down their skill into explainable chunks to educate others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Origins of the Stages<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The original 4 stages of the model of learning were created by Martin Broadwell in 1969. It has also been termed the <em>four stages of competence <\/em>and <em>four levels of teaching<\/em>. It was subsequently popularized by Noel Burch of Gordon Training International. The 4-stage model was also used extensively by Curtiss &amp; Warren.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">FAQ: Are there 4 or 5 Stages?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The first four stages of learning are the original stages in the model proposed by Martin Broadwell in 1969. Brodawell named it the <em>four levels of teaching<\/em>. It has subsequently been called the \u2018levels of learning\u2019 or \u2018stages of learning\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The fifth level of knowledge emerged much more recently. It is a stage that represents an ability to teach the content to new apprentices who are moving through the stages themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Final Thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The stages of learning are very useful for educators, coaches and even marketers. They can reflect on a learner\u2019s or consumer\u2019s stage and make adjustments to their teaching (or marketing) accordingly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>There are other learning stages models that you may like. <a href=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/emotion-in-education\/\">Kort\u2019s emotional learning spiral<\/a>, for example, outlines four emotional stages that learners go through when they learn a task.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image aligncenter\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg\" alt=\"stages of learning\"\/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There are 5 stages of learning or \u2018levels of knowledge\u2019: (1) Unconscious incompetence. (2) Conscious incompetence. (3) Conscious competence. (4) Unconscious competence. (5) Conscious unconscious competence.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6282,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"set","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,127],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-education","category-education-101-course-module-2"],"acf":[],"modified_by":"Chris Drew (PhD)","uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",350,350,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",350,350,false],"large":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",350,350,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",350,350,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",350,350,false],"authorship-box-avatar":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",150,150,false],"authorship-box-related":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",70,70,false],"authorship-post-flat":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",70,70,false],"authorship-post-cards":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",189,189,false],"authorship-post-thumbs":["https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/12\/stages-of-learning.jpg",100,100,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Chris Drew (PhD)","author_link":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/author\/chris-drew-phd\/"},"uagb_comment_info":2,"uagb_excerpt":"There are 5 stages of learning or \u2018levels of knowledge\u2019: (1) Unconscious incompetence. (2) Conscious incompetence. (3) Conscious competence. (4) Unconscious competence. (5) Conscious unconscious competence.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6281"}],"version-history":[{"count":18,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6281\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":38747,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6281\/revisions\/38747"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/helpfulprofessor.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}