(2 minute read)
Whether it’s a new role, new course, or a new program you are attempting to grasp or master, you’re sure to face some challenges in developing the required competencies that will permit you the necessary understanding to tackle the new challenges with the desired and required success.
The first step in developing new skills and competencies is the realisation that there really isn’t such a thing as a ‘one-and-done’ approach to learning.
In fact, as identified in Bloom’s Taxonomy, there are 6 layers (or levels) to learning, with each building upon the previous level of attainment.
While we are often wanting to get to the highest level of understanding as quickly as possible, there are steps to be taken, with some phases of the learning requiring more ‘percolation’ than others; (i.e., we’ll need to spend more time in some levels than others, to allow us to consolidate our understandings – at that point.)
- Remembering: The recall and recognition of information can be considered the lowest level of learning.
- Understanding: Here, the learner can make sense of what they have learned, ideally in preparation for future decision making.
- Applying: The learner demonstrates how they can apply the learning to a new situation, with minimal guidance or support.
- Analysing: The learner understands why their decisions or actions were or were not effective in a given scenario.
- Evaluating: The learner can judge and assess performance and outcomes using comparative standards or criteria.
- Creating: The highest level of our learning is the ability to create new content, or processes which can help achieve a similar or improved result.
True mastery is the domain of the creators and requires us to develop strong foundations by progressing through each of the 5 previous levels.