CHANGE TOOLS SITE
Yuri Hanin, Research Institute for Olympic Sports, Finland. Tapio Korjus and Petteri Jouste, Finnish Sports Association, Finland; Paul Baxter, personalbest.com.au, Brisbane.
NOTE: This coaching science research study won 2nd prize in the 2004 European Athletics Association Coaching Science Awards.
Abstract of this paper which was published in The Sport Psychologist, 2002, 16, 79-99.
Exploratory studies examine the effectiveness of Old Way/New Way®, an innovative meta-cognitive learning strategy initially developed in education settings, in the rapid and permanent correction of established technique difficulties experienced by two Olympic athletes in javelin and sprinting. Individualized interventions included video-assisted error analysis, step-wise enhancement of kinaesthetic awareness, re-activation of the error memory, discrimination and generalization of the correct movement pattern. Self-reports, coach's ratings and video recordings were used as measures of technique improvement. A single learning trial produced immediate and permanent technique improvement (80% or higher correct action) and full transfer of learning, without the need for the customary adaptation period. Findings are consistent with the performance enhancement effects of Old Way/New Way® demonstrated experimentally in non-sport settings.
Kylie Baker (South Australian Sports Institute) & Gillian Tan (University of Southern Queensland).
Mediational Learning (Old Way/New Way®) for accelerated skill correction: A new paradigm and technique for elite sport. Paper presented at the Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2001: A Sports Medicine Odyssey. Challenges, Controversies and Change. 23-27 October 2001, Burswood International Resort Casino, Perth, Western Australia.
Extract
Mediational Learning has been applied by the psychologists at the South Australian Sports Institute (SASI) with a variety of different athletes. These athletes include the following:
Compares Old Way/New Way® sports coaching with conventional coaching, and discusses the highly effective use of the technique with Jason Gillespie, first class cricketer, and with Olympic athletes in Finland.
Hanin, Y., Malvela, M., & Hanina, M. (2003, in press). Rapid correction of start technique in an Olympic-level swimmer: A case study using Old Way/New Way. Journal of Swimming Research.
This article first appeared in seven monthly parts in the Queensland Bowler from December 1998 to June 1999, inclusive and was featured in the coaching section of the Royal Queensland Bowls Association web site.
Old Way/New Way® applied to sport coaching involving physical and mental skills. These five articles explain the theoretical background of Old Way/New Way® and how this innovative learning system can be used to accelerate skill development and correction in lawn bowls. Mental as well as physical skills are dealt with in detail. The examples can readily be transferred to performance enhancement and technique correction situations in other sports. Competitive players and athletes as well as sports coaches will find this material useful.
Details of these and many other sport case studies and published research can be found here.
This chapter on the psychology of learning enhancement contains a discussion of Old Way/New Way® and how it can be used to accelerate adaptation to change in flight training. Various examples of learning situations requiring adjustment to change including transitioning, flight deck automation, upgrading and platform migration, among others, are discussed. www.ashgate.com
Book Summary
Technological advances in the operation of modern jet transport aircraft have challenged and drawn attention to the shortcomings in current flight desk operational procedures. This comprehensive second edition presents new techniques in training, learning and teaching in the airline environment. By focusing attention on how to improve overall training effectiveness and efficiency, and with practical demonstrations of the importance of human factors, resource and error management, it will become a standard reference in the pursuit of better flight safety. It also includes a specific emphasis on teaching methods and techniques, providing an all round introduction to airline pilot training for training pilots and aspiring airline pilots worldwide. Email: orders@bookpoint.co.uk.
Landings are a key competency in conversion training.
Key aspects of landing technique that typically show negative transfer effects are throttle control, attitude control and flare technique.
For example, during the initial stages of converting from the Beechcraft Baron to the Learjet, students often incorrectly apply the landing technique they learned in the Baron to the Learjet.
When placed under pressure to perform or during periods of intense cockpit activity, even experienced pilots can inadvertently revert to their previous training, i.e., they apply the techniques and knowledge acquired during training in previous aircraft. Old habits die hard.
Habit pattern errors have been implicated in many aircraft incidents and disasters over the years, yet habit pattern errors are notoriously difficult to eradicate.
Experience indicates that habit pattern errors like these respond well to Old Way/New Way® intervention. Published research and workplace trials show that Old Way/New Way® consistently outperforms conventional transition training methods, delivering 80% or better improvement after one session, with a greatly reduced adaptation period and no reversion to old ways, i.e., no negative transfer.
A one-month workplace trial by a large commercial airline demonstrated these training benefits with flight training. Using a Learjet 45 flight simulator, flight instructors' ratings of cadets’ landing technique following technique correction with Old Way/New Way® showed that, for the three target skills (throttle control, attitude control and flare technique):
Instructor feedback indicated that instructors found the method practical, effective and quick to show results.
Cadets' feedback about their Old Way/New Way® training experience was also positive. Cadets commented on how this way of teaching helped them clarify the differences in landing technique and therefore enabled them to more quickly adopt and become comfortable with the new way of landing that the instructor had taught them.
Cadets also found Old Way/New Way® very user friendly. Similarly, instructors commented on how suitable the method was for flight instruction.
Old Way/New Way® was shown to be a very flexible and adaptable teaching tool. During one simulator session the error initially targeted for correction had to be changed to a different technique problem that suddenly became apparent, namely cross-wind landing technique. This shift of focus was effortlessly achieved and a suitable and effective correction protocol was quickly devised and implemented, on the spot.
The workplace trial results confirmed the benefits of Old Way/New Way® reported in other, non-aviation, skill development settings, namely that:
Old Way/New Way® Learning is a very practical and a cost- and time-effective generic teaching method that is readily incorporated into a flight instructor’s professional toolkit. It complements existing teaching methods and magnifies the impact of conversion training.
Flight instruction becomes more cost- and time-effective, students achieve better and faster, students remember what they have been taught, and risk management due to training failure and consequent negative transfer is improved.
All this makes Old Way/New Way® a valuable teaching tool for all flight instructors.
Many habit pattern errors in skilled performance and mental models can benefit from Old Way/New Way® intervention, for example:
The potential application of Old Way/New Way® to flight training is therefore extremely broad, reinforcing the claim that this training method is a very useful generic teaching tool in the hands of experienced flight instructors.
Accident avoidance using Old Way/New Way® was one of the learning innovations introduced in the three-day Robinson R22 helicopter pilot safety awareness course conducted at the Ant Hill Hotel in Mareeba, North Queensland, during January 1998.
Over 30 mustering pilots learnt how to use Old Way/New Way® to correct a potentially fatal emergency situation known in the trade as "rotor stall."
The Robinson R22 helicopter has an excellent safety record. However, like any aircraft, if it is allowed to stray outside its safe flight envelope and immediate and appropriate corrective action is not applied, a situation can develop that can have serious and even fatal consequences.
In 1994 the Board of Air Safety Investigation Asia-Pacific Air Safety Journal stated that the R22 is subject to main rotor blade stall resulting from an initial state of low indicated air speed combined with low rotor rpm. A pilot who is aware of this danger can take steps to prevent it and, even if it starts to develop, can take immediate action to prevent the rapid onset of rotor stall with its potentially fatal results. Theoretically, any rotor can stall but the lightweight, low energy rotor fitted to the R22 reacts very quickly to changes in power or angle of attack, rendering the R22 more susceptible to this problem than other small piston-engined helicopters.
The sequence of events leading to rotor stall is described graphically in this example from the International Aviation Safety College Robinson Helicopter Safety Course Manual.
The remedy is to prevent engine power reducing and rotor angle of attack increasing to the point at which it is impossible to recover rotor rpm. That is, if rotor rpm is low at low IAS (as indicated by the low rotor rpm warning horn), lower the collective while simultaneously increasing throttle.
Even if rotor rpm is further reducing, power will be available to recover rotor rpm as collective is lowered. Clearly, the pilot must carefully monitor the rotor rpm recovery to ensure that the rotor is not oversped. At the higher power setting, the collective throttle mechanical link will operate to maintain rotor rpm as the pilot raises the collective to stop any descent that may be developed.
Robinson Helicopter Company has been aware of this risk for some time and describes it fully to all students on safety courses. U.S. experience has shown that the pilots who are most vulnerable to this danger are:
To reduce the risk of the low IAS low rotor rpm situation developing, the aircraft manufacturer recommends a minimum speed of 60 kts for normal flight and to avoid unnecessary flying at low level, especially under 500 ft AGL.
The third high-risk group, fixed wing pilots, when faced with a low IAS low rotor rpm situation, are very likely to experience interference that can arise from old automated skill routines when they interfere with the learning of a new skill ("old habits die hard"). This "habit interference" (sometimes called "negative transfer") is one of the major causes of technique problems in experienced operators as well as novices.
Low IAS/low RRPM accidents in fixed wing pilots are caused by the automatic application of an incorrect recovery attempt (the learned skill and automatic reaction that is transferred from a previous and different ship where it may have been appropriate). As stated in Robinson Safety Notice SN-29:
Conventional wisdom says that it takes time to overcome old habits and change established skills. To continue the above example, the safety notice correctly recommends that:
It is generally accepted that emergency procedures in airplanes require that a pilot has instilled in him certain automatic reactions. Learning these reactions can take a considerable time, especially when what is required to be learned is different from or conflicts with a previously learned reaction or response to a particular situation. Changes in routine or in equipment or control configuration can present persistent obstacles to learning progress. Research studies of skill development indicate that under conventional instruction and re-training it can take up to 2,000 repetitions of the correct reaction before a skilled operator really learns (to automatic or instinctive response stage) a new skill that conflicts with a previously learned skill.
In an ideal world a pilot would undertake such extended training until it had the desired effect but all too often the pressures of earning a living preclude completion of all but the bare minimum training requirements.
A common reaction of experienced pilots and instructors to this habit interference problem that so often occurs with conventional skill training methods is to say that this is not a "training problem', in other words, that re-training will not fix it. This mistaken belief is based on the fact that:
Old Way-New Way offers a new way of looking at pilot training and re-training. Instead of blaming lack of learning progress on the instructor or on the pilot undergoing instruction, or on both, this methodology instead attributes poor learning performance and poor transfer to proactive inhibition, a well-researched brain mechanism that has been substantiated in the psychological literature for some 80 years. "Proactive inhibition" takes place whenever old learning interferes or conflicts with new learning.
For example, explaining to a helicopter pilot that his reaction to the low rpm warning horn is incorrect and hazardous, then showing him what he should be doing and then getting him to practice that over and over does little to help him change - it simply arouses proactive inhibition in his brain which then interferes with (i.e., causes a high rate of forgetting of ) the new technique the pilot is trying to learn. Under conventional methods of technique correction the pilot may even appear to improve during training sessions and can perform satisfactorily under the watchful eye of the instructor, but he typically reverts to his old incorrect technique (the previously learned automated skill routine) in the absence of supervision and in the stress of unexpected or emergency situations.
The use of proactive inhibition, a fully-researched and validated brain mechanism, as an alternative explanation of such learning difficulties takes a lot of the "heat" out of the re-training situation and is one of the reasons for the high acceptance of the method with both instructors and trainees.
Old Way / New Way is the only skill correction method that effectively deals with such interference problems and offers quick and permanent correction and transfer of skills.
The method respects the pilot's existing skills, even though some of these may cause problems, and takes him through a systematic comparison and differentiation of his "old" (incorrect) and the "new" (correct) way.
The method is based on the premise that in order to reach the future you have to first revisit the past. Notably, because it is a metacognitive approach that makes the pilot able to self-detect and self-correct errors, the method is able to achieve the rapid transfer of learning that is so elusive under more conventional skill correction techniques. At the same time, it is user friendly and easily incorporated into what pilots and instructors normally do. Old Way-New Way is ideally suited to training using flight simulators.
Unlike other skill correction methods, with Old Way-New Way there is no temporary drop in performance while the pilot is adjusting to the new technique - improvement is almost immediate. And unlike behaviour modification or operant approaches to training, Old Way-New Way does not involve cumbersome manipulation of behavioural consequences nor does it require intensive monitoring.
All this makes Old Way/New Way® very cost-effective.
Graham Weaver, Training Coordinator, KAAL Pty Ltd (a joint venture of ALCOA and Kobe Steel), Point Henry, Geelong, Victoria, Paul Baxter and Harry Lyndon, Department of Education, Training & Employment, Adelaide, South Australia, write about a new process of skill mediation (Old Way/New Way®) which aims to change behaviour at work in the name of good OHS.
Kobe Alcoa Aluminium Limited Training Coordinator, Graham Weaver, liked what he saw and heard at the Australian National Training Authority Research Advisory Council National Conference in Melbourne on November 3, 1996.
He was particularly intrigued by a presentation by a group of three researchers from Queensland and South Australia. They presented the results of a controlled experimental trial of an innovative training method that appeared to be far superior to any other training method he knew.
Graham met and talked with the presenters afterwards and invited them to visit the KAAL aluminium production plant in Geelong and present their research results to a group of trainers and managers.
On the morning of Tuesday 15 July, after seeing the presentation, the management and trainers at KAAL agreed to a workplace trial at their plant. For the rest of the day the presenter met with a wide range of staff including safety officers, production coordinators, trainers and management to discuss the kinds of safety issues that might be suitable targets for a workplace trial.
The topic selected was the appropriate disposal of Synthetic Mineral Fibres (SMF). This material is used as part of the Casting Process for Aluminium and under a particular set of circumstances can be considered as having the potential to be detrimental to health. When this material was introduced as a replacement for more hazardous material, the Company set up proper disposal procedures which were never wholly accepted by the work force who typically tended to dispose of this product in a somewhat ad-hoc manner. Numerous Company initiatives to improve this practice had resulted in short term improvement at best and no improvement at worst.
The workplace trial was scheduled for November 10 and the eight members of pit Crew C in the ingot mill were chosen to participate.
The hazardous nature of the casting pit precluded the running of a hands-on mediation session where crew members would have practiced their actual old and new ways of SMF disposal. Neither was there the time to set up a simulation. Instead the "training room exercise" was used although it was understood that this had significantly less power than the full scale practice.
The re-training session lasted 90 minutes and included a psychological explanation of why established work skills are hard to change; a demonstration of the mental mechanism responsible for protecting skills; a demonstration of the Old Way/New Way® training method; a discussion of the existing problem with SMF disposal including why it is so hazardous if not handled properly; a brainstorming session where crew members explored alternative feasible ways of properly disposing of SMF; and finally a conceptual mediation process where each crew member described what his old way of disposing of SMF was, what his new way would be and what difference there was between those two ways
Crew members were then told that this Old Way/New Way® process would make them self-monitoring and self-correcting.
The Operators were left to their own devices for a six day period, after which the Training Coordinator spent a total of 5 minutes with each of them informally asking how the new program was going. The responses were more positive than he had ever dared to hope for.
Given the restricted program that was used and given the limited amount of time spent with the crew, Graham Weaver said that these initial results speak well of the program. He is looking forwards to having the Old Way / New Way facilitators back at the Plant to deliver the next round of training and to discuss further options for the use of this innovative training method.
24 Days Later
I asked Graham how the program was going now that just over 3 weeks had passed since the Old Way / New Way re-training session. "It's now just over 3 weeks since we did the program so I thought that further feedback would be interesting," he commented.
"Of the six operators I spoke with, four of them remain optimistic or very optimistic about the effect of the program, one is somewhat non-committal and one is not terribly impressed," he explained.
"Their Team Leader said that this crew now always dispose of the fibres properly when he was around but couldn't be sure what happens when he is not around. I tend to interpret this view as positive as I believe that most times our operators are consistent in their behaviour, it's either good or not so good." "What sort of feedback have you been getting, then?" I asked. "Some of the comments I got from them today were:
He added, "The non-committal person says that he always disposes of the fibres properly anyway, even before the training program was run."
"One person was a bit negative about the impact of the program - but I don't see this response as being solely for the program. I suspect that this is possibly his normal way of being. When pushed a little he was a little bit supportive of the program, perhaps due to the golf lessons we talked about."
"So, how would you evaluate the program at this stage?" I asked.
"Overall I think that this is positive feedback, and when I asked if they would like to have a repeat of the program the answer was universally in the affirmative." Graham concluded.
"Well, Graham, where do we go from here?" I prompted.
"We have set a completion date of the first week in February for this trial. By then the program will have run for 13 weeks and we'll be able to say with certainty to what extent it has been a success", Graham explained.
92 Days Later
Graham informally interviewed various members of 'C' shift. Their feedback was as follows, without names on who said what:
Three months after the initial training the Ingot Mill ran their own audit of SMF disposal practices in the Plant. Here are the comments of the Production Supervisor who also attended the initial training program with the crew:
"I don't think you will get a clearer or more positive response than this from an Operating person!" said Graham.
Graham went on. "The Area Electrical Engineer also took part in the initial training just out of curiosity. He is now completely sold on the program and his view is that this program has the potential to save our industry 'thousands and thousands of dollars over time'. Without doubt, he sees the value of this program."
"We are presently negotiating to have the presenter return to our Plant to give the program on handling SMFs to the other three crews so that this particular problem can be fixed properly once and for all. After that we would be in a better position to start negotiations for the purchase of the program."
Graham concluded, "It works! I am sold on this program and am delighted that we have had the first opportunity for industry to trial the program."
Update: Sadly, Graham Weaver passed away in 2008.
Journal of Vocational Education and Training, 2004, 56, 1, 21-50.
This project addressed an issue of national concern in skills training in the workplace, namely the rapid and permanent eradication of persistent errors and bad habits in the learning of manual skills. This problem is not only evident in workplace learning but is also highly prevalent in off-the-job learning. This project constituted an experimental comparison of the relative effectiveness of skill correction using the Conceptual Mediation Program and its primary component, Old Way/New Way® (O/N), to that obtained by conventional error correction methods. Using a comparative methods research design incorporating a control group, vocational education students (n=34), representing a broad range of 8 skill types, were recruited and randomised to one of the two error correction modes, or to the control group in which no error correction was employed. Old Way/New Way® was significantly better than conventional error correction methods at improving skilled performance. This was immediate after one ten minute session, was maintained over three post-test periods, and was irrespective of skill type being considered.
In 1985 the Commonwealth Department of Education employed the services of Personal Best Systems on behalf of several Aboriginal students. In a letter of referral dated February 5, 1986, the Education Officer stated that,
"Most of the cases were with secondary level students where the intervention techniques with English and mathematics problems proved most beneficial to all the students. Further to this, the techniques proved remarkable in the case of a young adult who had previously been struggling to hold a position in the Public Service, This young person has now assumed increasingly more difficult and complicated tasks and aspires to permanent employment and promotion. I would recommend the programme highly on the results I have seen in only one year."
Our case notes tell the following story about this highly personal transformation.
"Jennifer was referred to Personal Best Academy by the Department of Education. A 25-year old counter officer employed by the Department of Social Security, she was experiencing the following difficulties at work.
Jennifer underwent an intensive period of occupational training and spelling remediation. She completed 29 hours of work, with the following outcomes.
From an article published by the site author in Roadwise, 2004, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 19-24, the journal of the Australian College of Road Safety.
Keywords: habit pattern errors, error patterns, driving, driving instruction, driving instructors, driver education, driver training, driving habits, transfer, transfer of learning, transfer of training, road safety, safety campaigns, road toll.
Abstract
Driver educators and trainers try to get it right the first time with their students but invariably end up spending a lot of time trying to correct errors, misconceptions, technique faults and bad habits that somehow develop. Because these errors were not corrected early, and were inadvertently repeated over and over (i.e., practiced), many error patterns are actually learned, habitual and automatic and are then much harder to eradicate. This paper:
Baxter, P and Dole, S. 1990. Working with the brain, not against it: correction of systematic errors in subtraction. British Journal of Special Education Research Supplement. 17, 1, 19-22
Abstract
Studies of error patterns in subtraction have provided evidence that, contrary to popular belief, few errors are random or careless. In fact, many errors are conceptual and learned. They have become habitual and consistent with advancing years in school. The existence of these learned errors has implications for corrective attempts in that, despite intensive instructional intervention, many students revert to their own wrong methods. This experimental study employed a randomised, multiple baseline between-groups design, incorporating a control group, to compare the effectiveness of attempts to eradicate consistent subtraction errors through two different methods. Our method challenges conventional explanations of learning failure, as being due to intellectual or perceptual deficits. It proposes that material previously learned interferes with current learning or the recall of recently learned similar materials (proactive inhibition / interference). The methodology aims to overcome proactive inhibition, the effects of which are a prime cause of most learning difficulties. The results appear to show the superiority of the Old Way/New Way® method for Type E algorithms. These findings are tentative only, given the small sample (n=6) and the improvement observed in the post-test score of one member of the control group. On the basis of these findings, further studies seem warranted with larger samples and with a wider range of systematic errors in computations.
Paper presented at the Fourth International Seminar, From Misconceptions to Constructed Understanding, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, USA, June 13-15, 1997.
Abstract
Traditionally, students' mathematics errors and misconceptions were viewed from a negative perspective, taken as indicative of the absence of knowledge/meaning. Constructivist theory offers a more positive perspective, suggesting that errors are an individual's current interpretation of a mathematical situation and thus are indicative of knowledge. Error pattern research has prompted new approaches to intervention, with errors/misconceptions increasingly being used as the beginning point for intervention. The success of such approaches has been mixed with error recidivism being a common occurrence. A further dimension to this field is offered by Conceptual Mediation (CM) [which uses Old Way/New Way®] (Lyndon, 1995). The theoretical background of CM states that accelerated forgetting of new material occurs if it conflicts with pre-existing knowledge. Errors/misconceptions therefore are retained even in light of rational argument. In this paper, error pattern research and conceptual change programs are briefly summarised, followed by a discussion of the psychological basis of CM.
International Journal of Science Education. 1990, 12, 2, 167--175. Changing misconceptions: a challenge to science educators. Jack A. Rowell, Chris J. Dawson and Harry Lyndon, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
Abstract
In this paper we examine misconceptions as personal explanatory knowledge judged by experts in the field to be in error. To those who have constructed them, misconceptions are not recognizable as different from any other explanatory knowledge: they are formed by the same process, take part in the generation of new knowledge and consequently are difficult to replace. As with construction, replacement involves the processes of equilibration. To date, educational strategies promoting equilibration in the classroom have attempted this through co-operative debate, using the teacher as chairman and agent provocateur. Here, we briefly discuss the epistemological status of an alternative to co-operative debate that is more teacher centred, and report on a comparative empirical test of the educational potential of the two strategies.
Research in Science Education, 1997, 27(2),157-173. Conceptual Mediation: A New Perspective on Conceptual Exchange. Chris Dawson and Harry Lyndon, University of Adelaide
Abstract
For the last two decades science education researchers have had a major interest in identifying students' intuitive understanding of a wide range of scientific topics and in reducing the difficulties involved when an attempt is made to replace these views by scientific understanding. Different approaches to this latter problem have been adopted by researchers, with strategies ranging from the pragmatic and atheoretical to those with a stronger theoretical foundation, usually based on some form of constructivism. In this paper we report on a novel theoretical perspective which takes as its foundation the psychological research of about three decades ago which investigated "forgetting," and the important effects of previous knowledge in this process. In particular this new perspective demonstrates that, under normal teaching conditions. and through the process of proactive inhibition, the student's prior knowledge can accelerate the forgetting of the newly taught scientific ideas. The paper first develops the theoretical position and then shows that a change in teaching approach can take advantage of the differences between the students' prior understanding and the scientific view to ensure more efficient replacement. Following this an overview of the new methodology, as it is currently being used on a trial basis by science teachers in South Australia, is briefly introduced.
Roger Henderson, William Light School, DETE, Geoffrey Higgs, University of South Australia, E. Harry Lyndon, Support Services, DETE, David Wilkinson, William Light School, DETE, Gregory C. R. Yates, University of South Australia. Paper presented at the Department of Education Training and Employment Research Expo, Adelaide, South Australia, March 1999.
Abstract
In this project Conceptual Mediation (CM) is described as an innovative program in high school science and mathematics teaching. CM incorporates aspects of an earlier teaching method (oldway/newway) but stress is placed upon students assuming greater responsibility for "mediating" their learning. In the present study we surveyed CM and non-CM classes on attitudes toward school. Relative to their peers, students with high levels of exposure to CM exhibited (a) enhanced scores on a questionnaire measure positive work attitudes, (b) enhanced personal agency, (c) reduced levels of negative leaning indicators (e.g. school antipathy and malaise). The CM students also gave more adaptive responses on an open-ended item tapping awareness of problem solving strategies. These beneficial effects were evident, however, only in the case of students in year 10 who had participated in the program over a two-year period.
Harry Lyndon, David Lloyd and David Wilkinson. South Australian Science Teachers' Association Journal, Semester 2, 1995.
Abstract
The conference program was subtitled "Why won't they learn, when I've taught my best?" Nearly all science teachers have at some stage in their career asked themselves this question. The conference flier seemed to promise conferees an answer to this deeply felt question This may account for the significant interest shown in this workshop. 20 TRT's were made available through funding by CEASA which were distributed on a "first come etc" basis. Attendance at the workshop was excellent with 35 conferees on day one and 34 of those same hard worked conferees on the second day. The presenters take this opportunity to thank all of those involved for their cooperation, interest, enthusiasm, "great feedback" and for also giving up two of their valuable evenings to share in this landmark conference. Let's start with what some of the conferees had to say about the program.
Kingston State Primary School teacher Karen Parkinson was faced with a problem early in 1987 common to Year 7 teachers.
In her class was Vince, a boy with learning problems that would make his entry to high school next year difficult because his areas of weakness were in basic mathematics procedures and he consistently failed mathematics operations.
Karen recalls, "I was desperate because I knew Vince could be helped but that I hadn't done much helping so far."
She decided to try something new. "I decided to try Old Way/New Way®, a method suggested for spelling by our lecturer Dr Paul Baxter at Mt Gravatt College of Advanced Education (now a campus of Griffith University). He said it had broad applications to other curriculum areas, too. The result was stunning. Vince learned to multiply correctly in one lesson."
"That instant success surprised me but it did wonders for Vince because he saw himself doing things that gave him the right answer straight off. Even better, he continues to get the right answer."
Note. The fact that Vince continued to get the right answer shows that not only did he learn a new way of doing his calculations but from then on he also understood what he was doing.
April, 1985. Cheryl Wilsdon teaches grades R-2. Her pupils are 5 - 7.5 years of age. Old Way/New Way® has made a tremendous difference to her professionally and to the children in her care. She tells her story in her own words. "When using Old Way/New Way® I see myself performing the ideal role of the teacher, that is, as a facilitator of learning."
"I see myself as a powerful facilitator. I see and know that I'm effective because Old Way/New Way® is. That gives me, as a person and as a teacher, a great positive charge. When I get this great positive charge the kids feel it, see it, know it and they are also 'infected'. This makes for a good relationship and good feeling between us all. I'm seeing that when kids feel good about themselves and what they're doing, they offer more."
"It's so simple! The kids catch on to the method easily. They like doing it. Young children don't find the procedure boring, even though adults might think that they would get bored with it. The feeling of complete control, competence and the sense of achievement overcomes boredom."
"If I tell them, 'I want to test you on spelling', that arouses no anxiety anymore. 'Test' has become a comfortable word for the children. This is because I don't judge them anymore. There is no 'failure'. 'Right-wrong', 'correct-incorrect' don't exist in the class. Its just Old Way and New Way and both are positive."
"The more you do it, the more you want to do it, because you see that it works."
"I started using Old Way/New Way® with the whole class straight away. I spent one lesson just teaching them the procedure. After some initial supervision the children soon became self-administering. Now older children help the younger ones, to check that they follow the procedure correctly."
"I'm doing Old Way/New Way® with lists of words most commonly used by children in their writing. I test 25 words, compile lists of which children have what words as Old Ways, then begin trials."
"Initially I wondered how I'd keep track of recording when I'd done an Old Way/New Way® trial and when to do subsequent trials. It all looked like an impossible task. However, because of the simplicity of the method and its guaranteed results, I no longer use the problem of recording trials as an excuse for neglecting Old Way/New Way®."
"The greatest thing about Old Way/New Way® is the self-correction children do. Its such an amazing thing to say to a kid,'can you see any Old Ways? ... Now, can you do the New Way for me?' and then they select their Old Way and do the New Way all by themselves without me doing a thing except ask those two questions."
"Old Way/New Way® is so much less stressful for teachers. I no longer get frustrated when some children have so many errors to correct. The notion of a 'dumb child' disappears and instead you know that they simply have more resistant Old Ways."
August, 1982. Old Way/New Way® is used on a trial
basis with a whole class.
A class of 20 Year 5 and 6 pupils were given the Westwood Spelling Test.
Five words misspelt by the whole class were selected for correction.
The words were, 'beautiful', 'orchestra', 'equally','appreciate' and
'familiar'.
An additional 3 words were chosen from the class list of words misspelt by the majority of the class. These words were, 'through', 'usual' and 'statue'.
One Old Way/New Way® trial was conducted on each of these words and pupils were retested for recall at intervals of one week, two weeks and eight weeks post-trial.
No practice of the selected words was conducted by the teacher and the students were not informed of the intended reviews. The three reviews were conducted without prior notification to the pupils that a test was to be given on any particular day.
The results were most encouraging. After one week without practice the modal score (most frequent score) was 7 out of 8. The distribution was as follows:
8 8 8After two weeks the mode was still 7 out of 8, with the following distribution:
8 8After a further six weeks, which included the September school holiday period, the mode was 5 and the distribution was as follows:
8These results are especially noteworthy because they were obtained after only one Old Way/New Way® correction session per word with a whole class lasting no longer than 5 to 10 minutes.
In 1982 an examiner from the Australian Music Examination Board (AMEB) commented in his examination report that Christopher had a problem in the way he raised his shoulders. Whenever a stressful passage was attempted he would unconsciously tense his shoulder muscles causing his shoulders to lift which adversely affected his playing.
His music teacher over the next three years from time to time used a method of tapping him on his shoulders in order to get him to relax and release the tension in his shoulders. However, in 1985 a different AMEB examiner again made a comment in his report about his raised shoulders. It appeared that the raised shoulders had now become habitual and had become a permanent part of his playing style.
Worse than that, his music teacher pointed out that this persistent habit would stop Christopher becoming the really good pianist that he was capable of being, unless it was eradicated. The problem was a great concern not only to Christopher but also to his parents.
Christopher's home and talked through the problem with him and his parents in detail.
Paul explained to Christopher and his parents why the raised shoulders had proved so difficult to correct, followed by a brief outline of how this problem would now be corrected using Old Way / New Way.
Christopher then took part in a 20-minute session during which Paul helped him recognise when he was actually raising his shoulders while playing and then replaced this habit with a new habit - relaxed shoulders while playing.
After this brief treatment Paul explained that Christopher could now be expected to play with relaxed shoulders 80% of the time, or better. Furthermore, on those 20% of occasions when he would fall back into his raised shoulders style he would detect this by himself, without needing outside assistance, 95% of the time it happened.
Christopher and his parents, who quietly observed the entire treatment, were then given a simple follow-up routine to deal with those 20% of occasions when Christopher would revert to his old way of playing. His parents monitored Christopher's playing during the next three weeks and whenever a lapse occurred took him through the prescribed brief routine.
In a letter dated October 21, 1985, Christopher's parents were happy to report that,
"We would like to express our sincere thanks for what you did in helping Chris overcome a postural problem in his piano playing. Your solution to his problem seemed so simple, yet two months after your intervention treatment the problem appears to be permanently 'fixed'. The proof to us of a permanent solution came recently when he played to a public audience and there was no sign of a recurrence of the problem."
Christopher subsequently went on to complete his music degree and also won the university piano prize.
Andrew learns to walk again and overcomes a long standing health problem.
Andrew had a walking problem. His gait was unusual in that he normally threw his right foot toe-outwards on a forward step, instead of pointing it straight forward.
To an uninformed person that might not seem so drastic but the problems that it caused for Andrew, now in middle age, meant that his personalised walking style had to change and change quickly.
His physiotherapist had diagnosed the cause of his swollen achilles tendon, his tight calf muscle and his persistent lower back pain as all due to his unfortunate walking style. The prescribed treatment was that Andrew actively concentrate and practice a new way of walking. Instead of throwing his right foot out to the side he now had to point it straight forward when walking. In fact, he had to learn how to walk all over again.
The prognosis was dubious at best. Given a lot of effort and sufficient time, Andrew might re-learn how to walk in 6 months, or perhaps longer, or maybe never. He was somewhat pessimistic about his own chances of making the change. Having had the problem for so many years the injurious walking style was deeply ingrained.
Fortunately, Andrew was conversant with Old Way/New Way® and sought the assistance of the PBS facilitator. A session was scheduled for the next day.
Andrew had paid close attention to his physiotherapist's explanation of the problem and could give the facilitator a detailed description of the problem. After this Andrew spent some 15 minutes walking back and forth in a room, with his shoes on and at other times with them off, and sometimes with his eyes open and at other times with them closed, all the while speaking aloud of his sensations while he was walking in his usual way with his foot thrown outwards.
While walking in his own way he described the sensation of feeling the back of his right heel strike the floor first, followed by a "foot roll" or something he later described as a "rocking motion." He said that there appeared to be a two-stage impact. When asked to walk in his new way he described the sensation of feeling less heel strike, making a flatter impact, having more bend in the foot and in the centre of the foot and feeling more lift-off from the ball of the foot and from the toes. His foot seemed to be "working harder," he added thoughtfully. Andrew also mentioned that he could feel his right knee "working" to keep the foot pointed straight ahead when he walked.
The remaining part of the half-hour session was taken up by Andrew comparing his old and new ways of walking, followed by a short practice session where he walked in his new way. He was given a simple procedure for self-correcting his walking whenever he detected he was walking in his old way and was reminded that his progress would be reviewed in two weeks.
In an informal discussion a few days later Andrew said that the metacognitive treatment appeared to be working and that he had been able to successfully apply the self-correction procedure a few times. He also complained of a new pain in his right knee. The facilitator suggested that he should mention this to his physiotherapist on his next visit that evening and also asked him to explain to the physiotherapist that the Old Way/New Way® process had now enabled Andrew to exert more conscious control over his walking such that he was actually walking more often in his new way and consequently using his right knee more to maintain the new direction of his right foot. Andrew agreed that this was a likely explanation of the knee pain and said that he would mention this to his physiotherapist.
2 Weeks Later. The knee pain has gone and Andrew's walk is now much improved. He has noticed the improvement himself and so has his physiotherapist. Altogether, its been a very positive outcome for all concerned.
Dr Paul Baxter, author of How To Get the Most Out of Your Child's School: 60 Questions Parents Ask Teachers. Fontana/Collins, 1983.
"Notice how children and adults keep misspelling the same word in the same wrong way? Learn why students keep falling back to old ways and improve classroom learning with Old Way/New Way.® "
".... This program takes a no nonsense approach to the teaching of spelling... This is not a game dressed up as educational software.... One advantage of this approach is that it can correct persistent, learned and habitual spelling errors... It is worthwhile visiting the web site. just to read the information on the Old Way/New Way® approach to learning."
Jo Baker was feeling depressed about the number of children with spelling problems in her Grade 3 class.
She was aware that many children go through a period where they reverse letters and numerals like "b's", "d's" and "3's", but some children like Susan never seemed to grow out of it despite her best efforts and the support of parents at home.
When she mentioned the problem to the visiting lecturer who was supervising novice teachers, he suggested that she try a new method called Old Way/New Way®. Jo was intrigued though somewhat skeptical but nevertheless consented to a demonstration being arranged for the following day.
With Jo observing every step, the lecturer (also the PBS facilitator) sat down and chatted informally with Susan and asked her to show him some of her written work. He then asked her to write some words that he knew would reveal any reversals she might have. Susan's spelling efforts showed several consistent misspellings including several letter reversals. This confirmed the teacher's impressions and the evidence from the child's prior written work.
This initial error diagnosis was followed by a typical Old Way/New Way® correction for several of the letter reversals, all with positive results. Jo was perplexed by the speed with which Susan appeared to overcome her problem with these letters and the apparent simplicity of the correction method.
Somewhat skeptical that the correction would endure, she was pleased to report two weeks later that Susan no longer reversed those particular letters. Jo said she would like very much to learn more about Old Way/New Way® and she subsequently attended a training workshop designed for practicing teachers.
Discusses the theoretical background to Mediational Learning (Old Way/New Way) and its application to adult literacy teaching. Contains 32 references to research journal articles.
Many tutors working in adult literacy programs are often faced with learners who are showing limited progress despite everyone's best efforts. In all other respects the learner is normal, well motivated and capable of learning. In respect of spelling problems however such learners are common in adult literacy.
Not surprising then to discover that in many cases despite years of learning and the exposure to a variety of different tutors discouragement slowly begins to pervade the effort, as nothing appears to work.
All of the 'tried and true' techniques have been used, look and say, phonics, word patterns, and morphographs all without any apparent measurable degree of success.
This was the case of Jonathan, a mature learner in Galway when Frank Monaghan, a literacy organiser in Galway, Ireland, introduced him to the Old Way/New Way® technique.
Following a few brief workshops with Jonathan he was immediately experiencing success and able to self-correct.
Now after a few months and just over the summer holiday period
Jonathan has been able to confirm that the Old Way/New Way method
works for him.
Jonathan is now able to remember the spelling of words months after being
learned, which previously would have been forgotten in hours.
More importantly it shifts the locus of control to himself so that with very little help from a tutor he can work on his own spellings allowing him to focus on writing poetry which he enjoys so much.
It is with a degree of pleasure that Frank, through the evidence of the learner Jonathan, recommends the Old Way/New Way® system to other literacy programs.
Knowledge is an enterprise's greatest resource. Online management development is fast and cheap. By 2002, more than half of all training will be technology based, with the remainder taking place in the classroom.
This article discusses the proactive habit interference mechanism that slows down change and continuous improvement in knowledge and skills. The solution, Old Way/New Way®, accelerates human learning and allows the rapid uptake of new knowledge and skills.
The following PDF document contains all known published work on Old Way/New Way®.
"The problem is not learning the new; it's forgetting the old." Flight Instructor
"Old habits die hard." Proverb
"Practice makes permanent, not perfect." Warren Buffett
"Practising differences makes perfect." Harry Lyndon
Trainers, teachers, instructors and sports coaches try to get it right the first time with their students, trainees and athletes but invariably end up spending a lot of time trying to correct errors, misconceptions, non-compliance, technique faults and bad habits that somehow develop.
Because these errors were not corrected early, and were inadvertently repeated over and over (i.e., practised), many error patterns are actually learned, habitual and automatic and therefore much harder to eradicate.
For example, John always writes "recieve" instead of "receive"; Mike always has to be reminded to wear his safety goggles; Mary always slices her golf swing; Susan always follow cars too closely when driving; and Geoff is mentally still following the previous aircraft’s pre-flight checklist even though he's converted to another aircraft.
We all know that old habits die hard and many habit patterns are resistant to conventional change methods.
These limitations of traditional teaching and training programs are apparent in all settings including sport, workplace training, education, therapy and personal development.
Re-training or re-education, the typical solution to these problems, improves things only slowly, if at all.
Although learners may appear to pay attention during instruction and practice their new, correct, skills and knowledge over and over, the next day when placed under pressure or when unsupervised and left to their own devices, they seem to have forgotten what they’ve learned and the same habit pattern errors (old entrenched attitudes, beliefs, misunderstandings, work practices and routines, faulty procedures, poor techniques and unsafe behaviours) resurface.
A prolonged adjustment period and poor transfer of learning are the two most typical outcomes of education, training and coaching efforts worldwide.
All this wastes talent and resources and makes change and transition programs so much less cost-effective. There’s got to be a better way.
Fortunately, a cognitive science discovery called Old Way/New Way Learning offers:
1. A new perspective on the transfer of training problem.
2. A fast and practical method of transition training.
3. A cost-effective and user-friendly method for rapid skill and technique correction, and habit eradication.
This website introduces Old Way/New Way® Learning, including the basic theory underpinning the method, and available training programs in this unique approach to behaviour change and continuous improvement.
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KEYWORDS: habit patterns | error patterns | habit pattern errors | errors | misconceptions | mental maps | skill transfer | knowledge transfer | skill transitions | conversion training
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Updated Thursday 1 July, 2010