What is Variability in Skill Acquisition and Why Does it Matter?
As the adage goes, practice makes perfect — but creates the repeated pattern of a new skill lead to perfection? Research would suggest otherwise. People pick up new skills best when placed in different conditions and contexts. In simple terms, this is known as variability in learning and has a wide breadth of impact across fields.
As we gear up for a new digital transformation era –increased customer centricity, increased threat of AI on jobs, and increased competition — upskilling is mandatory.
Whether you are a seasoned professional or a newbie looking to start on the right foot, how you learn new skills is as important as what skills you learn. Without variability, you will fall prey to the forgetting curve and struggle to implement your learning in real-world circumstances.\
What is Variability?
Traditionally, repetition has been the cornerstone of new skill acquisition. Teaching the learner something new skill, process or concept, they practice it once and several times again until they achieve proficiency. However, according to research, this may not be the optimal way to obtain and retain knowledge and may hinder its applicability in the real world.
Instead, the theory of variability suggests that a learner knows how to apply a skill in multiple ways and knows various ways to solve the same problem to achieve mastery of the concept truly. It has immense implications in multiple fields of professional learning, from programming (e.g., resolving a bug) to healthcare (e.g., arriving at a diagnosis).
Why is Variability Important in Skill Acquisition?
In the modern world, most skills have a short shelf life, especially if you are average or above average. It is only the masters of a craft who add genuine value that continues to be a viable, profitable, and lucrative prospect for employers. Consider a digital marketer whose job is reducing due to automation or a copywriter whose role will be taken over by ChatGPT.
Professionals who continue to add value to a business find it easier to navigate these advancements and stay relevant, even stand out in today’s market. You can achieve this only when you practice and reinforce new skills in variable environments. It is because:
1. Variability strengthens the connection between the problem and the technique used to solve it
The problem with learning new skills on the job is not acquiring new knowledge but retrieving it when necessary. Too often, in classroom settings, the problem and the problem-solving techniques exist as two separate pieces of information in silos.
For example, 2+2 = 4. Ask the learner what 2 + 2 equals, and they will respond with 4. But simple repetition means that the understanding is superficial and limited. Now, consider a person who knows that 2 + 2 = 4, 3 + 1 = 4, and 4 + 0 = 4. The person has acquired the knowledge of 4 in variable conditions and therefore has a far better understanding of the concept. The same principle applies to corporate learning and upskilling; variability helps form new and multiple connections between concepts that aid in problem-solving later on.
2. Variability helps develop an understanding of similar but not identical circumstances
An employee who has learned through variability has better analytical skills and is better equipped to compare situations and their key differences. To continue our example, the person who knows 2 + 2 = 4 and 3 + 1 = 4 can compare 2 + 2 vs 3 + 1 and determine the differences between these concepts.
Businesses today regularly face complex situations and working conditions requiring smart working. The ability to compare different conditions/factors/variables goes a long way in helping employees solve a particular problem. Even if you cannot avoid the problem, you will learn from its contributing factors and prevent similar situations.
3. Variability helps overcome the forgetting curve by making you work harder to find the solution
When learners face different conditions from the ones where they originally acquired a piece of knowledge, the challenge is to work harder and become adaptive. For example, a simple “Hello World” program may take extra effort to write in a language you are not used to. This extra effort leads to a stronger imprint on all memory, making forgetting new skills more difficult.
Importantly, this benefit of variability in learning is reaffirmed by psychologist Robert Bjork’s theory of memory, suggesting that a more difficult retrieval process strengthens our memory rather than resulting in effort waste.
Incorporating Variability in Skill Acquisition
Companies have relied too long on classroom training or rigidly structured e-learning models to upskill their employees. But this approach is missing a crucial part of the puzzle — variability. Employees can incorporate variability in their learning experiences through on-the-job learning programs and mentorships. You can also achieve similar results through gamification, with the added benefits of efficiency and reusability. As we usher in the upcoming era of technology-driven labour forces and unique learning needs, variability is essential.
To discuss this further with me, drop a line at Arvind@am-pmassociates.com.
