Page 189 - Deep Learning

172 Adaptation

thereby force modifications of already acquired skills. After you have been
driving the same route from home to work for years, the transit authority
closes down a portion of that route for pothole therapy, throwing you into
discovery mode: What is the best detour? Likewise, new versions of software
systems are released on a schedule that seems calculated to ensure that the
associated skills become obsolete the moment they are mastered. Household
appliances change, tax laws change and work places change. Reality is tur-
bulent through and through, so habits, methods, operating procedures and
techniques constantly need to be adapted to new circumstances. The central
concept for understanding this aspect of human nature is practice.

QUESTIONS ABOUT PRACTICE

novices sometimes have no choice but to perform a task that they have not
quite mastered in a situation in which the outcome matters, a scenario which
we call learning on the job, or, jokingly, being thrown into the deep end of the
pool. if this had been the only option, relying on acquired skills might not have
been the successful survival strategy it turned out to be for proto-humans. The
moment when a wounded animal turns in rage on the hunter is not the time
to learn how to wield a spear.
instead, skills are typically learned through practice. That is, the learner
repeatedly attempts to perform a task that he has not fully mastered, not for the
sake of the results of his performance but for the sake of improving. practice
is ubiquitous in every sphere of human activity, from arts and crafts to music,
sports and the professions. Although we often take studying to mean read-
ing, practice is also important in academic learning. Many subjects, although
taught in a lecture format, contain elements of practice. in physics and mathe-
matics, students practice solving problems; in English composition, they prac-
tice writing; in laboratory subjects like chemistry and psychology students
practice experimental design, data collection and data analysis. practice is the
most prevalent mode of learning, in and out of school.
practice requires a situation that is set aside for the purpose of learning.
The notion of a training environment recognizes the conflict between the fact
that mistakes and failures are unavoidable during learning and the fact that
failure in real situations often has unacceptable consequences. training envi-
ronments resolve this dilemma by allowing a learner to fail without having
to suffer the consequences. Better practice with the spear before going on a
hunt lest your tribe goes hungry because you missed your throw; better crash
a flight simulator than an airplane. The practice of practicing, of executing