How Experts Differ from Novices

Spelling has never been my forte. Often, I rely on clever mnemonics that I learned in elementary school. For example, I remember in fourth grade struggling to spell the word tomorrow until a sympathetic classmate came to my rescue. She pointed out that chunking the word into tom-or-row made it easy to remember. Since that time, I have often thought that students would learn more effectively if they not only received instruction about what to learn but also about how to learn. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2008, pp. 20-21) point out that experts “chunk information into familiar patterns” to augment the capacity of their short-term memories. However, most curricula do little to help students learn how to organize material in meaningful ways (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2008, p. 30).

Furthermore, I have often heard fellow classmates who are teachers complain on the emphasis that is placed on preparing students to take standardized tests. However, standardized tests may not “assess the degree to which the students’ knowledge is conditionalized.” Yet, knowing how to apply knowledge in different situations is an important aspect for effective learning (Bransford, Brown, & Cocking, 2008, p. 31). After reading How Experts Differ from Novices, I cannot help thinking that perhaps our educational system would improve if we eliminated standardized tests and instead focused on meaningful knowledge acquisition.

Rather than be subjected to standardized testing, I believe that each student should have an individualized educational program that encompasses each of the following:

Multidimensional instruction - simultaneously integrates multiple disciplines
Nonlinear instruction –
o adapts to a students competency level
 easier – harder
 simple - complex
Responsive feedback –
o immediate feedback
o elaborate feedback upon request
Purposeful instruction – clearly stated goals and objectives that are meaningful to the student
Student-centered instruction – based on constructivist learning principles
Social learning opportunities
o Peer to peer
o Novice - expert
Integrated assessment – evaluation of demonstrable skills seamlessly embedded within instructional context

When my children were very young they took Suzuki violin lessons that comprised each of these components. Furthermore, I also recognized that similar attributes composed the framework of many of the commercial non-educational video games that my children played.


Bransford, J. D., Brown, A. L, & Cocking, R. R. (2008). How People Learn: How Experts Differ from Novices. National Academy Press. Retrieved September 12, 2008 from: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=6160&page=17