There are three stages in acquiring a skill.
- Cognitive (early) stage. This is when you articulate your learning objectives, thinking about the means towards those objectives, and making those objectives manageable. This seems to coincide with metalearning.
- Associative (intermediate) stage. This stage involves acting on the roadmap identified in the previous stage. It concerns deliberate practice (Practice is necessary in acquiring skill and knowledge) and adjusting one’s learning approach based on feedback from the practice (Acquire just enough learning to deliberately practice and self-correct).
- Autonomous (late) stage. This is the stage when one becomes a master. When one has reached this stage, some areas of the skill becomes intuitive and can even be done without too much attention.
References
Kaufman, J. (2013). The First 20 Hours: How to Learn Anything…Fast! Portfolio.
- Cognitive (Early) Stage—understanding what you’re trying to do, researching, thinking about the process, and breaking the skill into manageable parts.
- Associative (Intermediate) Stage—practicing the task, noticing environmental feedback, and adjusting your approach based on that feedback.
- Autonomous (Late) Stage—performing the skill effectively and efficiently without thinking about it or paying unnecessary attention to the process.
This neurophysiological skill acquisition process is happening all the time, even while you’re reading this sentence. There is no such thing as a mind in stasis. Your brain is learning, encoding, and consolidating new skills all the time.