Erin Hoops
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Erin Hoops |
The 4 Phases Of Learning
Learning,
Personal Growth,
Skill Development,
Coaching, and
Even Teaching
Often lead a learner through
Four Learning Phases...
But in learning/coaching basketball
(or any sport for that matter)
the Four Phases are used continuously.
Coaches and Basketball Players all face the flow of the Four Phases whenever they come to the gym. Practices, whether they are coached or just a player practicing on her/his own, all lead players though the four phases of learning to true behavior change.
The Phases are
Phase I – Unconscious Incompetence
Phase II – Conscious Incompetence
Phase III – Conscious Competence
Phase IV – Unconscious Competence
We start unaware in...
This is where any learner starts. S/He is not aware of a skill/behavior s/he needs. For example lets talk about the spin move. Players (beginning ones especially) often do not realize this is a move that is part of a basketball players repertoire. Their mind does not know about the spin move. Hence they have no mental consciousness of the spin move, i.e., they are unconscious of it. Naturally they are also incompetent at performing the move. They just never do it or even recognize the need for it.
To get to Phase II awareness occurs...
An awakening occurs...
To move to Phase II conscious awareness of the behavior/skill (spin move) has to occur. The player has to realize, from some source, the spin move or some other skill, is part of basketball. Coaches, peers, even watching the NBA can create this mental shift bringing the skill into focus for the player, who then moves from unconscious to conscious by recognizing it exists. When they try to execute the skill, in the gym, realize they are not competent. Once this realization is properly internalized the player they is ready to work/practice toward personal change and development.
To get to Phase III practice, practice, practice takes place...
Once we get fully into this third phase as a learner we can now execute the spin move with style and “flare”. We do it as thinking rational players. We know how to do it and can do it, when we think of doing it or the coach tells us to use it. The behavior/spin move does not yet happen naturally. One must think of it, be conscious of doing it, for the behavior to occur. But we CAN now do it competently as we have practice and learned conscious competence. People/players often think the learning process is now over, but it is not.
To reach the pinnacle of Phase IV requires practice to “rote”...
To get to this level where the behavior comes naturally without thought requires every learner to keep on working, practicing using and using and using the skill. Eventually, one day the skill is used without a thought. That’s the start of unconscious competence. Many repetitions of remembering to apply the skill/behavior are still needed to “span the bridge” from Phase III to Phase IV. Heaven on earth occurs finally when the skill/behavior being learned it is done thoughtlessly. It’s natural. It is part the person as a whole, as breathing and walking are.
The end – one is proficient without thinking. You are totally you with your new behaviour. You have learned. (You have been coached.)
Diagramed, the Phases of learning flow like this:
Learning Phases Model Credit:
W. C. Howell - 1982
Information Processing and Decision Making
(Human Performance and Productivity)
Mahwah, N.J.
Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.