The Role of Clear Structure in Learning Progress
The stumbling block for many skills isn’t the complexity of the skill itself but the lack of structure. If the learner doesn’t know what to practice, learning is haphazard and development is highly variable. Structure gives a clear map and allows the learner to get to mastery step by step. The learner can tackle one piece at a time with clear confidence that one step leads to another. The uncertainty is removed, and the learning process changes from a hit and miss to a highly reliable process.
The other reason that structured learning is helpful for the learner is that it gives them a clearer sense of direction. If the steps are well-defined, then the learner has a clear picture of what it means to succeed at each step. This matters because it turns practice into a directed exercise. Instead of trying to figure out what skills to focus on, the learner can focus on specific skills, and they have a way to evaluate their progress. That sense of direction makes the learner more confident. They can see how far they’ve come and how much farther they have to go. The exercise becomes more motivational because each step along the way feels like an accomplishment.
The second advantage of structure is that it reduces the initial anxiety of learning something new. Many times, complex abilities will appear overwhelming because you are trying to learn all of it at the same time. Structure helps to separate this process into pieces, so you can concentrate on just one element at a time. It reduces anxiety and makes the learning process more pleasant. You can practice calmly because you know what you are working on is a piece of a structure. This calmness aids in retention because you are much more likely to practice again another day if it’s a comfortable and non-threatening process.
Another benefit of structured learning is that it fosters incremental improvement. Once you have learned a step, and it becomes somewhat solidified, you can move onto the next step. Gradualness is essential in the learning process because it gives you a solid foundation before you start building more complex things on top of it. Once you have the foundation right, you can build higher and more complex skills on top of it. In this way, you won’t leave gaps in your learning and won’t need to go back and start over to cover those gaps later on. You will continue to grow consistently and can trust your results. Instead of huge chunks of change at one time, you will see a series of smaller incremental changes over time.
Lastly, the community provides structure in the form of guidance and support. Students learn from one another and support each other in the journey. The community will also follow the same structure, so there is a common lexicon that can be used. Because everyone is following the same structure, it is easier to ask questions, ask for clarification, and to stay motivated. Not only does the student have the map but also support from the community to follow the map. Because of both, the student is able to learn more efficiently and have a better experience. This is where structure equates to confidence, consistency and learning a skill.
