3-24  Stages of Skill Acquisition  Cognitive Stage  Associative Stage  Automatic Response Stage  For example  the learner smoothly increases power  adds back pressure on the yoke  and trims the aircraft as a turn is entered. During  the turn  the instructor questions the learner on an unrelated topic. The learner answers the questions  while making two small  adjustments in pitch and trim  and then rolls out of the turn with the altimeter centered on the target altitude. Noting the dramatically  improved performance  the instructor asks “What are you doing differently?” The learner seems unsure and says  “I have developed a  feel for it.”$_{ }$ Automaticity is one of the by-products of practice. As procedures become automatic  less attention is required to carry them out  so it  is possible to do other things simultaneously  or at least do other things more comfortably. By this stage  learner performance of the  skill is rapid and smooth. The learner devotes much less deliberate attention to performance  and may be able to carry on a  conversation or perform other tasks while performing the skill. The learner makes far fewer adjustments during his or her  performance and these adjustments tend to be small. The learner may no longer be able to remember the individual steps in the  procedure  or explain how to perform the skill.  For example  Beverly enters the steep turn and again struggles to achieve the desired bank angle. Still working on the bank angle  she  remembers the persistent altitude control problem and glances at the altimeter. Noticing that the aircraft has descended almost 100  feet  she increases back pressure on the control and adjusts the trim slightly. She goes back to a continuing struggle with the bank  angle  keeping it under control with some effort  and completes the turn 80 feet higher than started.  As the storage of a skill via practice continues  the learner understands how to associate individual steps in performance with likely  outcomes. The learner no longer performs a series of memorized steps  but is able to assess his or her progress along the way and  make adjustments in performance. Performing the skill still requires deliberate attention  but the learner is better able to deal with  distractions.  Even demonstrating how to do something does not result in the learner learning the skill. Practice is necessary in order for the learner  to learn how to coordinate muscles with visual and tactile senses. Learning to perform various aircraft maintenance skills or flight  maneuvers requires practice. Another benefit of practice is that as the learner gains proficiency in a skill  verbal instructions become  more meaningful. A long  detailed explanation is confusing before the learner begins performing  whereas specific comments are  more meaningful and useful after the skill has been partially mastered.  For example  Beverly enters a steep turn after increasing power by a prescribed amount and adjusting the pitch trim. She fixates on  the attitude indicator as she attempts to achieve the desired bank angle. The bank angle exceeds tolerances as she struggles to correct  it  making many abrupt control inputs.  The best way to prepare the learner to perform a task is to provide a clear  step-by-step example. Having a model to follow permits  learners to get a clear picture of each step in the sequence so they understand what is required and how to do it. In flight or  maintenance training  the instructor provides the demonstration  emphasizing the steps and techniques. During classroom instruction   an outside expert may be used  either in person or in a video presentation. In any case  learners need to have a clear impression of  what they are to do.  Cognitive learning has a basis in factual knowledge. Since the learner has no prior knowledge of flying  the instructor first introduces  him or her to a basic skill. The learner then memorizes the steps required to perform the skill. As the learner carries out these  memorized steps  he or she is often unaware of progress  or may fixate on one aspect of performance. Performing the skill at this  stage typically requires all the learner’s attention; distractions introduced by an instructor often cause performance to deteriorate or  stop.  Individuals make their way from beginner to expert via three characteristic stages for skill acquisition (or the learning process) as  follows: cognitive  associative  and automaticity. An instructor needs to recognize each stage in learner performance in order to assess  progress. 