Learning Isn't Linear

Often when we think of learning, we think that it happens in a linear fashion. By linear, we mean progressing from one stage to the next in a single series of steps or at a constant rate. The myth that learning is linear stems largely from ‘knowledge transfer’ teaching methods with assessments that focus on memorization of the “correct answer” and the belief that, by the end, everyone will have acquired roughly the same amount of knowledge. When it comes to developing or learning a new skill, however, linear progress is not really how humans learn. This learning myth does not take into account each individual’s needs or interests, and ignores how humans actually learn how to do things. 

How is Learning Not Linear?

We recognize that learning happens in different steps, and at different paces. When we picture learning, when we envision our progress over time for a particular subject or course, most often we imagine a line that moves steadily upward. In reality, our progress is more like a line that moves upward, downward, and levels off at multiple points throughout. 

At the beginning of the learning process, our knowledge does often increase rapidly because we are learning the basics, so right away, we know that learning isn’t really linear. Once we achieve that foundational knowledge, the process becomes more about refinement which results in learning slowing down or leveling off. Think of a baseball player: first they have to learn the basics such as throwing, catching, and hitting the ball. After the player has learned the basics, they hit a plateau on the learning graph. If they are a pitcher, for example, in order to increase the velocity and accuracy of their throw, they must practice. In their practice, the player must learn techniques like the best way to hold the ball, and how to position their body while throwing the ball. With time and patience, they can continue this process of refining and repeating until that action is perfected (or they’ve made it to the MLB!). 

Any baseball player also has their “good days” and “bad days” or may feel like they’re in a slump and not progressing. Learning a new skill takes time, practice, repetition, and development of that skill isn’t always a function of time and effort. What progress looks like is and how it occurs isn’t a straight line. We can get discouraged as humans if we don’t feel like we’re progressing how we expected, but it’s good to be mindful of the progress that’s already been made, and take time to reflect on what it takes to be good at a skill.

Everyone Learns at a Different Pace 

We’re humans, not machines. We’re not wired the same, we don’t learn in the same way, and peoples’ backgrounds and experiences mean they approach a new topic or principle with a wide variety of comprehension and capability levels. It’s quite normal and human that everyone learns at a different pace. What this means is that students won’t learn at the same pace as their colleague or fellow learner, and that’s ok. What one persons learning journey looks like in terms of progress or lulls won’t be the same as the next person’s. Ultimately, what is important isn’t going as fast as possible or sticking to a linear progression, but to develop competency in a field for the skills we need on the job.

Children are a great example of learning without linear expectations of progression: often they learn because they have an insatiable curiosity about a particular interest. They begin to ask questions, explore the topic, and learn through trial and error. They don’t look at their peers, think that they are falling behind, and stop trying. Developing that child-like curiosity and focusing on learning, even if it takes more time than we think it should to complete a problem, is key to learning in the 21st-century, and ultimately having a growth mindset! The time that we spend researching, practicing, and even failing, we are still learning. 

In addition, the pace of learning can be upended due to life events: accidents, births, weddings, loss, etc. In these situations, it can be hard to accept that learning isn’t linear, the student’s progress won’t be what they expected, but that’s ok. 

At Qwasar, we recognize that life can get in the way of learning.

The pace at which people learn is also a function of how much time they have to invest in their learning. We have students, like Bryan Agulara, who work full-time while trying to balance the Qwasar program. Even so, many students have found success with their learning but had to make sacrifices along the way. What is more important than learning it all as fast as possible is the degree to which we understand the fundamental concepts. 

Learning at Qwasar: Expect a Dynamic Progression Journey

At Qwasar, programs are not about grades; our focus is on learning and progressing in competency. We acknowledge that throughout life, we learn most often by trial and error, practice, and the desire to master a skill. We encourage every student to learn by defining the issue first. After they have defined the issue, they are given the problem, and they are empowered to pursue their process by researching how to solve the problem. The benefit of our process is that the student learns to problem solve, how to research effectively, and learn by doing. All Qwasar programs use hands-on, project-based learning and role plays which allow learners to focus on creating a skill rather than passing an exam. 

We encourage each student to embrace the idea of a “growth mindset” which allows them to try new things to find a path that works best for them. The “growth mindset” is believing that we can gain new skills through effort, and having this mindset can keep us motivated when things get challenging. On our Learning Science page, you can learn about how our program is backed by an enormous amount of learning science and behavioral science. Therefore, expect learning to not be linear: so when it’s difficult, don’t give up but keep pushing. Along the way, every student has the support of our employees as well as their peers. 

In Programming, You Learn the Most When You Feel Like You’re Stuck

Some learners come to Qwasar and excel right away, because they have previous coding experience. Others have no previous experience and start encountering bugs in their code earlier. Eventually, all students hit a point where they encounter new material, and that’s where the real learning progress begins.  Learners may spend more time than they’d like to admit trying to figure out why their code isn’t working, only for it to be a simple error but that’s okay. The time the learner spends trying to debug is productive because they spend that time learning. In coding, if it’s the first time attempting to solve a problem, it is likely that there will be errors. The student will then need to attempt to debug, so they often spend time researching the “why” behind the bug. Once they’ve established why their code isn’t performing in a way that they expect, they learn a new concept or idea for the future. During that frustrating moment, a student often feels as if they aren’t learning, but that is when they often learn the most. “Light bulb moments” will happen because learning isn’t linear and grasping concepts of varying levels of difficulty doesn’t happen at the same speed!

A lot of the content that learners cover in our introductory track carries over to the next tracks therefore, having a solid foundational knowledge before moving on to the next projects is key. If that means re-coding the same problem repeatedly until the learner truly grasps how to solve it, then do it - athletes do this all the time with different drills.

We also encourage the learner, once a week, to take some time to go back and look at their previous work and notice the improvements they’ve made. Remember, learning is a step-by-step process and there will always be times when the student feels that they’ve plateaued but don’t let that be discouraging. Once there’s a solid foundation, the work begins to refine their skills. 

In Conclusion

Learning is a dynamic journey and we provide support for our students throughout their entire process. As Neil deGrasse Tyson once said, “ Kids are born scientists, they’re always turning over rocks or picking petals. They’re always doing things that, by and large, are destructive. … You take stuff apart whether or not you know how to put it back together.” In the Qwasar program, there is no straightforward answer, it’s about the process and the journey along the way. It won’t always feel like progress has been made and there will be times of struggle, but keep that “growth mindset.” Our program allows learners to grow in their confidence in a way that no other program does.