People often claim that experienced individuals are often experts in their field; however, it’s not true. Despite the constant repetition, people fail to become experts at what they do, regardless of how many years they’ve spent doing it. Most people tend to stick with one specific industry for their whole lives. At a certain point, their performance gets plateaued. To simply explain, they stop getting better at what they do; why? Because they aren’t using deliberate practice to their advantage. What is Deliberate Practice? Deliberate practice is a systematic method of improving your overall performance; it could be in your classroom, at work, etc. Deliberate practice is based on constant feedback while working at the peak of your abilities. Experts in every field use deliberate practice to hone their skills and further enhance them. Our society has always given the spotlight to extraordinary individuals who’ve excelled at their jobs. People who don’t excel and do better than their counterparts are often considered less talented. Although these assumptions are misleading – there is no such thing as pure talent. Some people are simply better at picking things up than others, and for this reason, they are considered “exceptionally talented” by society. How Deliberate Practice Works? The latest research says that deliberate practice is needed to enhance performance. However, deliberate practice isn’t something which we aren’t completely familiar with, and most people don’t even have the slightest clue what deliberate practice is. The fact we don’t know about Deliberate Practice explains why we can’t improve our performance despite doing the same thing even for decades. Difference between Practice and Deliberate Practice? What we usually consider practice is really just doing what we always do. We are just playing around in our comfort zone. When you’re playing a video that you’ve aced several times, then you’re just “having fun,” and you’re not getting any better at it either. Once you’re able to differentiate between “fun” and deliberate practice, you’ll be one step closer to unlocking your true potential. If an activity is mentally demanding, challenging, and requires you to step out of your comfort zone, for you to go the extra mile into unchartered territory, then its Deliberate Practice. The minute you stop having fun and enter into a zone where you need to work at your best and every action will be judged and assessed; then you’re deliberate practicing. The Role of Educational Technology in facilitating Deliberate Practice
Educational technology is the combined use of theory, scientific knowledge, and computer technology to facilitate learning. But educational technology has been able to facilitate students in understanding deliberate practice. Due to real-time assessment, students are able to get instant feedback on their on-going projects and assignments. Due to cloud technology, they are able to easily access thousands of eBooks, journals, and scholarly articles, which constantly improves their performance in classrooms. We know that deliberate practice isn’t some fun, it’s tough, and it hurts. Educational technology has allowed young minds to come to terms with deliberate practice – more of it equals better performance, but most of it equals exceptional performance.
0 Comments
Taking photos and practicing meditation seem like divergent activities. While photography takes in the outside world through the camera as a medium, meditation focuses on our inner energy. Solen Feyissa, PhD, an instructional designer in the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota (UMN), and an independent researcher, states that photography freezes information in our perceived reality while meditation focuses on that particular reality. Dr. Solen Feyissa states that both photography and meditation require commitment, patience, skills, and dedication. Possessing these qualities however, does not guarantee an acquisition of wisdom through meditation or translate to great art through photography. Dr. Solen Feyissa explains that both photography and meditation lead us away from dwelling on imagined realities and take us back to rediscovering the ordinary, day-to-day existence. In today’s connected world, photography has become a way of rediscovering and reflecting one’s personality. Photography helps us reflect external abilities as well as inner thoughts and feelings. Meditation enables us to contemplate and discover those inner feelings and lets our creative side flow. As a practitioner of both, Dr. Solen Feyissa, says that meditation is similar to photography as it narrows and focuses on consideration. Photography requires you to remain calm and to keep your mind relaxed. Good photography is not a result of a hurried mood – it requires patience. The same is true for meditation. It requires patience and deliberate practice. Dr. Solen Feyissa adds that both time and head space have become scarce in our connected society. So many people practice meditation to recover their internal balance. Meditation allows us to create a space for ourselves and remain there without getting distracted by the outside world. As a meditative practice, photography can let us visualize what inspires us to make our compositions intentional. The more in tune we are with ourselves, the more we are able to overcome complexities. The meaning, the motivation behind the image and taking the image in its pure form makes us feel true to ourselves. Dr. Solen Feyissa suggests that by dedicating oneself to meditative practices, one can delve into the source of creativity, and produce deep and personally meaningful imagery. Photographers can capture remarkable images by channeling their inner creativity through meditation. It is fantastic that meditation allows you to understand your artistic side to the fullest and helps you direct it. One way to achieve this is to become one with the surroundings. Dr. Solen Feyissa recommends that even if you have never been interested in meditation, surrender or impermanence, bringing such practices into your photography will improve your thinking process and approach to your photography. Final Word
Meditative practices have been a source of tranquility for Solen Feyissa. He urges others to feel that too. Photography and meditation can go hand in hand. Solen Feyissa, Ph.D., an e-learning consultant and instructional designer at the University of Minnesota, describes distance learning as one of the ways in which academic institutions make learning accessible to those individuals who are unable to attend class in real time in brick and mortar classrooms. Students participating in distance learning may never meet their instructors or their classmates in person. However, distance learners can expect to meet with the teaching team virtually and find all learning resources such as course texts, lectures and learning activities online. In most institutions, student can expect to use a learning management systems (LMS). Dr. Solen Feyissa has collected valuable tips from different teachers on how to get the most out of distance learning, and has compiled them in a list for students:
For the students who have never taken distance courses before, it can be difficult to fully engage in course material, especially if there is little or no instructor presence. Even if instruction are clear and the instructor is fully present in the course. Students may still find it difficult to pace themselves. It’s common for novice distance learners to forget assignment due dates. Dr. Solen Feyissa suggests setting a fixed time to do course work multiple times a week. This time management step is necessary for students to stay organized and self-disciplined, and to get the most out of each session.
Another tip is not to rush in your course work. This is related to the earlier point about time management. Dr. Solen Feyissa has observed a tendency among novice distance learners that is easier than face-to-face or in-class courses. This cannot be far from the truth. Distance learning requires self-discipline and time management skills. It is true that students save have flexibility on when they can do the work. But flexibility doesn’t equal ease. What is true in face-to-face classes is true in distance learning: students should avoid rushing or taking shortcuts in completing assignments or finishing the course. Remember, distance learning courses may be more challenging than face-to-face courses.
Students will benefit from asking questions and engage with the teaching team as early as possible. Instructors, on the other hand, will want to get the students involved with interactive course work. Communication is a two-way street where both students and instructors need to make an effort. While it may be tempting for students to avoid asking questions, they need to collaborate with teachers and other students to better understand the course. An excellent instructor makes students feel that they're welcome to ask questions.
Dr. Solen Feyissa says that in today’s world, digital technologies play a massive role in making distance learning successful. There is no worse feeling for a student participating in a distance-learning course than feeling technologically incompetent. The helplessness that emanates from facing technical difficulty is dispiriting to learners especially if there is little time acquire hardware or software skills. Students will benefit from understanding technical requirements and skills early on, so that they can use online resources such as video tutorials and guides to make life easier for themselves.
Attending a distance learning course often involves collaborating with peers. Dr. Solen Feyissa warns students should choose project partners with care, because there is a possibility that other students might not be skilled collaborators. You will have a better learning experience if you choose peers who are skilled in collaborating with others. Final Word Research in online and distance learning has shown that students who find meaning in their learning do better. Time management, continuous engagement with the course material, peers and the teaching team go a long way in helping learners succeed. |
AuthorSolen Feyissa, Ph.D. is an Instructional Designer at the School of Public Health, University of Minnesota Twin Cities. His most recent work explores why mobile learning hasn’t improved education in Sub-Saharan Africa. |