One goal of learning design is to support individuals as they progress from limited proficiency toward competence and, in some cases, expertise. Understanding what distinguishes experts from novices can help learning professionals better support that progression.
Understanding expert thinking provides valuable insights into how to help novices develop similar skills and behaviors. Researchers have investigated differences between experts and novices across a variety of fields, and this research shows that expertise is more than the accumulation of knowledge or experience. Also, expertise is highly domain-specific. People may demonstrate expert performance in one area while remaining novices in another.
Building Interconnected Knowledge
Cognitive psychologists propose that experts organize knowledge into complex schemas, or interconnected mental structures. These structures are built through years of purposeful study, varied experience, feedback, and practice that continually refines knowledge and skills. Experts build connections between concepts, principles, and practical knowledge. Rather than a random set of unrelated and isolated facts, expert knowledge is an interrelated network of knowing what and knowing how.
When knowledge structures are interconnected, different retrieval cues will call up similar information. For example, if you take your car to an expert mechanic, they will have many potential memory paths for diagnosing why your car isn’t running. The sounds the engine makes, memories of similar repairs, diagrams of components, diagnostic procedures, and underlying mechanical principles can all activate relevant knowledge.
In this way, the expert mechanic has multiple paths to determining the cause of a problem. An interconnected network of knowledge therefore provides multiple opportunities to recall knowledge from long-term memory.
Recognizing Meaningful Patterns
Solving Problems Efficiently
Monitoring Their Thinking
Conclusion
For ideas on how to design for experts, see Novice Versus Expert Design Strategies: The Expert Reversal Effect. For general strategies that work for novices, see the articles on retrieval practice and elaboration.
References:
- Ertmer, Peggy A. et al. How instructional design experts use knowledge and experience to solve ill-structured problems. Performance Improvement Quarterly, v21 n1 p17-42 2008. 26 pp.
- Logan, Gordon D. Automatic Control: How Experts Act Without Thinking. Psychological Review, Vol 125(4), Jul, 2018 pp. 453-485. http://www.psy.vanderbilt.edu/faculty/logan/Logan2018.pdf.
- Nelms, A.A. & M. Segura-Totten. Expert–Novice Comparison Reveals Pedagogical Implications for Students’ Analysis of Primary Literature. CBE Life Sci Educ. 2019 Winter; 18(4): ar56. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6829068/
- . 2025. Experts and Expertise in Organizations: An Integrative Review on Individual Expertise. Annual Review Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior. 12:159-184. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-020323-012717
I’d say a lot of experience in combo with constant education and WILL to learn new stuff.
Connie Malamed, Thank you for your blog post about designing courses for professional development among experts. As an instructor new to online course design, I plan to keep the characteristics of the experts in mind when developing online courses.
I would like to ask your premission to paraphrase some of the information in your blog post. Of course, I will be glad to attribute your advice with referenece to your URL and Your eLearning Coach website.
Best regards,
Gail Chanpong
[[ These characteristics of the experts include having knowledge structures that are inter-connected, based on a well-organized and meaningful framework. Experts think holistically, easily identify patterns, and use mental solving problem models. Their own thinking and problem-solving processes are continually updated and strategies adjusted to optimize results. ]]
SOURCE: Connie Malamed. (2018). Coaching Tips for Experts. The eLearning Coach. Available from : https://theelearningcoach.com/learning/the-experts-brain/
Of course that’s fine, Gail.
Hi
This is a nice analysis of how expert’s brain work. Thnaks a lot for info. Would be please tell me what a novice should do develop a brain stucture like that of Expert.
Thank you!
In many ways, I think the instructional strategies for helping novices become competent are the basis of instructional design. It’s a pretty limitless topic and more instructional strategies will be coming in future topics. Depending on how someone will apply their knowledge and skills to the real world of work, some strategies include: retrieval practice, elaboration and addressing the emotional aspect of learning.