Performance and Mastery Learners

The article we read by Barry Schwartz which discussed the performance and mastery learners was very interesting. Like I'm sure many college students, I found that I am mainly a performance learner. I also learned that I could be a mastery learner, but in a setting outside of school. This confirms the idea he had that school puts pressure on students so they don't want to learn anymore.

One of the things I did find that was slightly frustrating though, was how Schwartz never mentioned anything about the time commitment being a mastery learner takes. He mentioned many other factors, but this basic factor he seemed to skim over. To be a mastery learner takes time. It takes a lot of time to really dig into an assignment or class, to think everything through critically, and to develop an interest in a subject. Yes, this is all great to do, but how do students do this in every class? If they took the time to be that kind of learner in every subject, I would like to meet their friends (because I'm pretty sure they wouldn't have any, considering they would spend all their time studying). It is unrealistic that a person could be that kind of learner in all classes. If they were, they wouldn't sleep or have a social life. And that's if they can even complete all of their assignments. I know that if I wanted to be a mastery learner in not just my piano, but also in my trumpet, theory, and religion class, then I would never complete all of my assignments. It's just not possible, because there isn't enough time.

Schwartz may argue that being a mastery learner is worth the time, and if I didn't get the assignments done then that was okay as long as I learned something. Well, I don't think professors take that sort of excuse when you refuse to hand in work, or hand in something that is unfinished. What would happen if, tomorrow, I decided in my Animal Dreams essay that I would only connect it to one pillar of Wartburg? And that I did this because I wanted to really dig into this one pillar, and although I didn't get enough time to connect Animal Dreams to all the pillars, I really learned a lot about this one pillar. Would you accept it? Would you decide it was okay that I only did one fourth of the assignment? Maybe you would and I've assumed wrongly. But the chances are, that it wouldn't be the right thing you were looking for.

I suppose that with this mindset, I am still considering the factor of an overall grade on this essay, or on whatever uncompleted assignments in general. But honestly, when you apply for a job, do bosses really want to hire you if you have a C average in college? It just doesn't seem practical in our competitive world to try to be perfectly mastery in all subjects.

This is why I believe that one should choose to be mastery in some subjects and be a performance learner in others. Perhaps you really dig into courses within your major, and then maybe one other that you find particularly interesting that connects with who you are of with what you are majoring in. Maybe that would work. The thing is, while reading this article, all I could think of was how I am barely getting everything done and staying sane the way I am right now, while I am a performance learner in many areas. I can't think of putting more work into my religion class. No matter how much I would like to (and I would, considering I'm a perfectionist) I just don't see how it is possible with the amount of other things I have to do. So that class ends up being one that is more performance than mastery.

I think for this argument to have to work the college would have to change things to give students more time to think critically in all areas and to apply themselves to everything. Perhaps they would take less classes, take summer classes, or not graduate in four years. These options don't sound desirable at all; however, I don't see how students (at least for me) could be mastery learners in all things without this sort of adjustment.

So, that seems to be my opinion on the article. Schwartz did make some very valid points though, and I agree that being a mastery learner definitely sounds a lot more rewarding and fulfilling than a performance learner. But I just fail to see how to change my habits to accomplish this without giving up important things, like seeing friends and sleeping.