The Dreyfus Model: Developer Events and Skill Categories
I found the Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition neat. It’s a central theme throughout Pragmatic Thinking and Learning by Andy Hunt.
Here’s how Wikipedia describes the Dreyfus Model:
The Dreyfus Model of Skill Acquisition postulates that when individuals acquire a skill through external instruction, they normally pass through five stages. … the five stages of skill acquisition are: Novice, Advanced beginner, Competent, Proficient and Expert - Dreyfus model of skill acquisition
We have different skills and are at different stages simultaneously in each skill - for example, someone might be an Expert at underwater basket weaving and a Novice at cooking. As we cultivate our experience we progress through these stages.
The categories (again, from Wikipedia) are as follows:
- Novice
- rigid adherence to rules
- no discretional judgment
- Advanced beginner
- situational perception still limited
- all aspects of work are treated separately and given equal importance
- Competent
- coping with crowdedness (multiple activity, information)
- now partially sees action as part of longer term goals
- conscious , deliberate planning
- Proficient
- holistic view of situation, rather than in terms of aspects
- sees what is most important in a situation
- uses maxims for guidance, meaning of maxims may vary according to situation
- Expert
- no longer reliant on rules, guidelines, maxims
- intuitive grasp of situation, based on tacit knowledge
- vision of what is possible
Presented with these categories we can draw some parallels with the software realm. Like say, create a list of events that you’d most likely find these different categories of software developers hanging out.
Developer Event Attendance and Developer Skill Categories:
- Vendor or Technology Specific: User Groups / Code Camps / Corporate Training / Evangelistic Events
- Many Novices
- Many Advanced beginners
- A small number of Competents that are transitioning to Proficients
- Proficients and Experts might be leading the group or may have been mandated to go by their organization
- Open Book Clubs / Non Specific Technology Meetings / Non Specific Bar Camp Type Events
- Mostly Competents, Proficients, and Experts
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’ve noticed that my attendance to the events listed above continually shift. Initially I thought I was becoming a curmudgeon, but instead I shifted a couple Dreyfus categories.