BASA: Six Stages Towards Expertise and Mastery in the Learning Process

NOVICE:

  • Not familiar with terminology or procedures
  • May be familiar with similar skills or technologies.
ADVANCED BEGINNER:
  • Is familiar with some procedures and techniques
  • Can sometimes do simple tasks but unpredictably
  • Does not understand the methods involved
  • No useful work is done.
COMPETENT:
  • Conversant in terminology
  • Can effectively use basic techniques and procedures
  • Beginning to understand some methods but not the methodology
  • Executes simple tasks with confidence but unevenly
  • Automatic' skills emerging
  • Breakeven point between accomplishments and mistakes.
PROFICIENT:
  • Productive
  • Fluent in job terminology
  • Executes many techniques and procedures with automaticity
  • Understands and observes methodology
  • Can describe how work is done and how decisions are made
  • Works independently and knows personal limitations up to a point
  • Biggest risks result from 'blind spot effect' and unexpected difficulties
  • May tutor Novices & Beginners effectively.
EXPERT:
  • Highly productive due to experience and automaticity
  • Excellent estimating and predictive abilities
  • Reliable application of knowledge and skills
  • Knows what to do and what NOT to do
  • Excellent understanding of methodology
  • Confidently strikes appropriate balances among conflicting goals
  • May coach high ability students.
MASTER:
  • High degree of expertise and recognition for accomplishments
  • May teach 'Experts' and mentor other Masters in training
  • Invents new concepts/products/solutions within discipline
  • Extends the discipline and has inter-disciplinary capabilities.

See, Mind over Machine, Hubert Dreyfus, Stanley Dreyfus, 1986
See, The Seven Stages of Expertise in Software Engineering, Meilir Page-Jones, www.waysys.com/ws_content_al_sse.html
Copyright 1992, 2005, 2009 Gary Jedynak, Collaborative for Software Developers and Innovators