Stages of learning
Learners are not aware of how little or much they know. They go through the four (or five) stages of competence
(the term “Four Stages of Competence” was originally established by Gordon Training International in the 70s.),
depending on how much they know about a given topic or skill. In the end, the learner will be able to use the
knowledge or skill without having to think about what they’re doing. It is important to keep these stages in mind
when developing eLearning because different learners will be at different stages.
1) Unconscious Incompetence: (Ignorance)
In this stage, the learner does not have a skill or knowledge set yet. They do not see any reason to learn it because
they don’t consider it a need. You don’t know what you don’t know. For example, as a very young child you do
not yet realize the usefulness of riding a bike. As an educator, it is important to work with the marketing
department on how to best market learning offerings to those in this stage. They may or may not realize the
benefits of your education yet, but the objective is to reveal that there ARE benefits. If you introduce potential
learners to your offerings, they may realize that they CAN gain value from those skills and knowledge sets and
reach stage two, conscious incompetence.
2) Conscious Incompetence: (Awareness)
By the second stage the learner is aware of the skill that they lack and can understand that there is a deficit.
Ignorance is no longer bliss. Ideally, this is who should be signing up for the majority of your online courses. In
this stage, the learner wants to learn because they are aware of their lack of knowledge and it makes them uneasy.
Selling courses to this demographic should be easiest.
3) Conscious Competence: (Learning)
The conscious competence stage takes place when a learner has acquired a skill but has not yet mastered it to the
point where it comes naturally. Imagine you are have learned the steps to riding the bike, but you still need to go
through the steps when getting on the bike, or you need training wheels. This is when the learner usually needs
testing, instructors, or other tools to hold their hand through it, or even talking themselves through the steps. At
this point the learner uses your online courses to gain fluency in the skills and become an engaged learner who
wants to reach the fourth stage. Think of this learner as a student studying for a test. They feel prepared but
sometimes still rely on flash cards.
4) Unconscious Competence: (Mastery)
You know the phrase, “It’s like riding a bike. You never forget how to do it.” The fourth stage of learning
encompasses just that: you know it so well you don’t even realize you are doing it. The skill is so embedded that
the learner doesn’t even need to process what they are doing. Issues can arise when you combine unconscious
competence learners with unconscious incompetence learners because neither of them can articulate the skill.
5) Conscious Unconscious Competence:
Some theorists believe there is a fifth stage as well — “conscious competence of unconscious competence.” In
this stage the learner is able to relate to learners in stages 1-4 enough to teach them. A stage five learner has
reached a point where they can reflect on how they reached their level of mastery. This means that they can
empathize with learners in other stages. In your organization, your super volunteers or SMEs are the most likely
to be “fifth stagers.” They can be useful in mentoring new members or providing guidance.
For example:
a child wants to ride a bike that he sees his older brother riding. But he doesn’t know that he doesn’t know how to
ride it (unconscious incompetence).
The boy gets on a bike and falls off, and knows that he does not know how to ride a bike (conscious
incompetence).
The little boy carefully steers and balances pedals and It takes effort and work, and he thinks of what he is doing,
step by step (conscious competence).
The little boy rides his bike without even thinking about it. He can whistle, talk, sing, or do other things with his
mind at the same time (Unconscious Competence).
The little boy can teach and explain to his friends how to ride a bike (Conscious Unconscious Competence).