Page 135 - The Power to Change Anything

124 INFLUENCER

a known standard. For example, serious chess players spend
about four hours a day comparing their play to the published
play of the world’s best players. They make their best move, and
then compare it to the move the expert made. When their
move is different from the master’s, they pause to determine
what the expert saw and they missed. As a result of comparing
themselves to the best, students improve their skills much
faster than they would otherwise. This immediate feedback,
coupled with complete concentration, accelerates learning.
Players know quickly when they are off course, and they learn
from their own poor moves.
As you might imagine, sports stars require rapid feedback
to improve performance as well. They tend to focus on small
but vital aspects of their play and scrupulously compare one
round to the next. Swimming gold medalist Natalie Coughlin
completes each leg of her races with fewer strokes than her
opponents, giving her a tremendous advantage in stamina. Her
practice is focused on the minute details of each stroke. She
explains: “You’re constantly manipulating the water. The slight-
est change in pitch in your hand makes the biggest difference.”
At the conclusion of each lap, Natalie is acutely aware of the
number of strokes she took to complete it, and she adjusts her
hand position for the next lap. This kind of focused, deliber-
ate practice enhances performance more rapidly than does
merely swimming laps.
This concept of rapid feedback stands traditional teaching
methods on their heads. Many teachers believe that tests are
painful experiences that should be given as infrequently as pos-
sible so as not to discourage students. Research reveals that the
opposite is true. Ethna Reid taught us that one of the vital
behaviors for effective teachers is extremely short intervals
between teaching and testing. When testing comes frequently,
it becomes familiar. It’s no longer a dreaded, major event. It
provides the chance for people to see how well they’re doing
against the standard.