Identifying where the problem lies
I love the psychology of learning, and there is never a more satisfying feeling than quickly solving the problems of people who have struggled with Physics for a long time.
Of course it’s not only Physics, it’s most of the Dive Theory sections.
Over the past 3 days we have held a PADI Dive Theory workshop.. it’s been fantastic! We have had some remarkable results!
But why do people have problems with Theory in the first place? As always, the answer is often linked to psychology.
One common source of the problem
It IS easy!
Ofen confusion is planted into people’s minds the very minute that they sign up for a PADI Divemaster course.
Let’s look more closely at the journey a diver makes to become a PADI Divemaster or PADI Instructor.
In the beginning, it’s usual that a diver takes a PADI Open Water Course. The diver is told by their instructor that the course is “Easy” the Knowledge Reviews are “Easy” and so are the Quick Quizzes. Of course the Diver finds no problems at all.
Then after diving for a while and completing the PADI Advanced and Rescue Courses, the Diver enrols onto a PADI Divemaster course. This time however, there is a big difference… then the Diver is told how “Difficult” the theory will be! The Diver is told by everyone they meet that they will have “Trouble” in answering the questions.
And of course.. The Diver struggles.
I don’t know why Instructors insist on telling Divemasters that theory is “Hard” when most of the time it’s exactly the same as the Open Water Course!!
Take a look in the Open Water Manual as early as page 17 to find the pricipals of Pressure Volume Relationships. Approximately 40 pct of all Physics exams are made up of questions about the effects of this pressure. How can this subject become so much more “Difficult” along the way?
How to solve the problem
Make it fun
Of course there are many reasons why people struggle with Theory. So the first thing that I do on our workshops is to find the root cause of the problem, I can’t begin to help someone before having a good idea why they feel that they can’t learn.
But whatever the reason, one thing is for certain! There is no point at all in explaining Physics to people in the same way that they have learned before! They KNOW that they don’t understand the subject! So it’s crucial to explain in ways radically different to those that they have seen before.
For most of the time, I find that I don’t “Teach” anything new.. In fact I spend most of the time getting rid of “Rubbish” that has been planted by many kind hearted people who have offerd to help in the past. All of the information in their head is “True” and is often relevant, but it’s all very confusing, it’s often in the wrong context and often doesn’t help at all. But it’s easy for me to correct this.
If you are having problems with theory, please don’t waste time by reading page after page of the encyclopedia. Find out more about how our Theory Workshops, can help you. Or you can also find out more about our Distance Learning program.