Why your team can pass tests but can’t perform
The Bottom Line Up Front
Before performing complex skills, we need to know the basics. Helping your team master critical knowledge will set the stage for better performance on the job.
Skeptics once said,
“My team doesn’t have a knowledge problem, we have a skills problem.”
“We need help remembering how to do stuff, not help passing tests.”
“My team needs help learning complex procedures, not memorizing facts.”
These are real comments from clients who questioned whether a platform like Blank Slate — designed to help people remember things — could also help people do things better. Their skepticism makes sense. If a tool only helps people remember facts without improving how they apply them, what use is that?
But the fact is — and research agrees — knowledge is the foundation of all complex skills. Simply put, improving what we know improves what we do.
The Knowledge-Skill Connection
Imagine trying to operate a big machine like a backhoe without knowing which controls maneuver the arm and bucket. Imagine trying to fly a helicopter without knowing local air traffic regulations or the laws of aerodynamics. When you dissect any complex skill or procedure, foundational knowledge is at the heart of it.
Research supports the critical role that strong knowledge plays in skill mastery. In one study, a group of medical students strengthened their memory for neurological conditions using spaced repetition, a learning technique involving testing one’s memory at spaced intervals of time [1]. As shown below, six months later, these medical students demonstrated better judgment when making treatment recommendations compared to students who had learned the same content but did not engage in spaced repetition.
In another study, researchers again used spaced repetition to promote knowledge retention in surgical medical residents [2]. A month after the learning intervention, when performing a surgical procedure on live anesthetized rats, these surgical residents outperformed other residents that did not have the intervention.
While healthcare research provides great examples, the cognitive underpinnings of these results extend to people in any profession. The fact is, committing information to memory is key to being able to apply that information during a skilled task.
Reducing Cognitive Load
A key way in which strong knowledge supports skill performance is through cognitive load reduction. When you can automatically and effortlessly recall the knowledge you need to do your job, your mind is free to focus on other important things going on in the moment. This is crucial in high-stakes jobs. Fighter pilots, for example, need to recall procedures instantly while staying aware of rapidly changing situations. Police officers must carry out the steps of an arrest while also assessing danger and managing stress.
Training regimens like Blank Slate preemptively reduce the cognitive load brought on by demanding situations. By strengthening knowledge through brief weekly sessions, people prepare their memory to be quick and automatic when the time comes. They won’t have to think about the steps that enable them to perform important tasks, they’ll just do them.
Practical Recommendations
To most effectively bridge the gap between knowing and doing, knowledge should be reinforced in ways that support real-world application. The following recommendations help optimize training content to that end.
- Use real-life scenarios: Create review questions that pose a scenario and require a decision-making process. For instance, medical students should work through patient case studies requiring diagnosis and treatment decisions.
- Mix up the media: Create training materials featuring text, images, and videos. A video showing how to conduct handheld wand screening at a security checkpoint can reinforce the steps more effectively than text alone.
- Train error detection: Create videos or images with intentional errors that require the learner to identify them. This exercise mimics real life, in which professional skills often center around finding and mitigating mistakes and other issues.
- Sequence the steps: Instead of just memorizing facts, learners should practice recalling the order of steps in a procedure, such as the sequence of events needed to rapidly report a workplace incident.
The Bottom Line
Helping your team master knowledge isn’t about passing tests, it’s about building a foundation for real-world performance. When knowledge is solid, skill execution follows. And with the right tools and strategies, knowledge recall becomes second nature, freeing up mental space to focus on other demands in the moment.
References
- Larsen, D. P., Butler, A. C., & Roediger, H. L. III (2013). Comparative effects of test-enhanced learning and self-explanation on long-term retention. Medical education, 47(7), 674–682. https://doi.org/10.1111/medu.12141
- Moulton, C. A., Dubrowski, A., Macrae, H., Graham, B., Grober, E., & Reznick, R. (2006). Teaching surgical skills: what kind of practice makes perfect?: a randomized, controlled trial. Annals of surgery, 244(3), 400–409. https://doi.org/10.1097/01.sla.0000234808.85789.6a
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Amy Smith, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer, Blank Slate Technologies
