
Expert versus Novice
This project shows my understanding of learning theory and how I can present information visually so it can be used in a professional development context for managers learning to coach and train employees.
In my career, I train retail store managers to coach and teach their employees how to analyze their business. Teaching employees how to analyze their business can be particularly difficult for managers because they must remember that their employees are not experts. There are many distinct differences in how a novice would analyze their business compared to an expert manager. Using the poster below at the beginning of a professional development workshop for managers will highlight the differences between themselves and the novices they must coach. The visual aid will help remind the managers that they must put themselves into the shoes of their employees so they do not expect the same level of analysis as someone who is an expert. In addition, it could help identify the impacts of their coaching as their employees move from novice to expert.

The employees that are novices in analyzing business have formed event schemas (Cherry, 2022). They have preconceived notions about what impacts sales in the retail store, such as the weather and economy, so they pay attention to that when analyzing business. The weather and the economy are part of what impacts store sales. Their schemas do not yet include understanding how manager and employee behaviors can make a difference, positive or negative, in-store sales. As the employees receive new information from the manager, they assimilate it into their existing framework of understanding. To become experts and accommodate the new information in an expanded framework, the employees must acquire more knowledge through experience and be able to conditionalize the information depending on the business scenario they face (Bransford et al., 2000). An expert in analyzing business can quickly file through categorized information and adjust the analysis based on a new set of facts.
Helping an employee become an expert in analyzing business starts with understanding the difference between an expert and a novice analysis.
References
Bransford, J. L., Brown, A. L., & Cocking, R. R. (2000). How people learn: Brain, mind, experience, and school. (Expanded Edition). National Academy Press.
Cherry, K. (2022, September 14). The role of a schema in psychology. Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-a-schema-2795873