Most people believe learning ends with a degree.
But the learning process never ends. It’s a constantly evolving process as we keep learning new things and acquiring skills as we go through our professional and personal lives.
Many of us go through various stages of the learning process without even realizing it. Let’s look at the structure and stages of learning that can propel you to success at work and life in general.
What is the process of learning and what are its stages?
Understanding the learning process involves an in-depth look at the various stages of the learning process.
One of the most crucial elements of the learning process is to ensure that learners remain engaged and motivated.
They should understand the overall process and the teachers should be able to provide learning based on the individual traits, emotional behavior and cognitive abilities of their students.
The methods of instruction and teaching techniques have to be selected in a way that makes understanding the learning process easy for different learners.
Let’s look at the various stages of the learning process:
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Unconscious Incompetence
The first stage of learning is Unconscious Incompetence. This is the stage where the learner has not learned anything yet. The students have no knowledge or skill—and don’t even feel the need to learn a new skill.
Potential learners need to be made aware that broadening their learning can add extra value to their skillset. One must know how to create the best learning system to meet the requirements of learners in this stage.
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Conscious Incompetence
The second stage of the learning process is Conscious Incompetence. Here, the learners are aware of the skill or knowledge they lack. They are conscious of what they are missing. As a result, they develop a keenness to know about new things as they are no longer happy to miss out on something that could prove valuable.
This is the stage where the target audience can be most easily convinced to join a course.
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Conscious Competence
The next phase of the learning process is Conscious Competence. This is when the learner becomes familiar with the subject or acquires a skill, but is still not proficient enough to develop it as an automatic reflex or habit. Look at it this way—you have learned the theory; now you have to go through practical exercises.
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Unconscious Competence
The fourth and final stage of learning is known as Unconscious Competence. It refers to attaining a level of expertise where you can become an absolute master of the habit.
Let’s say it is like typing on your computer. You don’t even pay attention to each stroke—your fingers simply glide over the keyboard to form words that come to your mind.
It is this fourth stage of learning that every learner aspires to acquire.
Conclusion
The learning process is essential to increase knowledge. Be it your personal or professional life, constant learning and skill acquisition is important for everyone.
Understanding the learning process and its different stages are crucial for all of us. Whether you are just starting your career or are an experienced professional with decades of experience, the learning process should never stop.
Harappa Education’s Learning Expertly course is designed to help you understand the various stages of learning,’ course. Designed to make you an agile learner, the course enables you to apply lessons in real-life situations. It has a section on an expert technique called Kolb’s Learning Cycle which uses four steps to learn, unlearn, and relearn from various experiences of life.
The online course will help you learn the ways to acquire knowledge and take a fresh approach to the problems faced by you. And it will also show you the path to becoming a self-driven and dynamic learner! So sign up now for your learning journey.
Explore topics such as Learning From Experience, Kolb’s Learning Styles, People Management & the Process of Learn, Unlearn and Relearn from our Harappa Diaries blog section and hone strategically thinking skills in business.