One of the things that’s been hugely emphasized in my flight instructor training has been the need to involve students in their own training. It’s not enough to simply sit there and lecture; the process needs to be active. This is probably something we all realize on a subconscious level; our best professors and teachers are generally the ones who get us talking about the issues or who are the most involving storytellers. There’s a reason the seminar style is used in higher-level courses and, as the ‘guided discussion’, in aviation instruction.

It’s actually a simple way to improve someone’s retention, but it also makes the learning more satisfying. If you’re involved in the topic – if it’s something you’re actively talking about, rather than just hearing about – it will sink in more deeply. One of the principles of learning heavily emphasized in my CFI course was that of intensity – whether it’s through pictures, video, demonstrations, or simply involvement in the discussion. The one-on-one format of flight instruction is one of the remarkable things in aviation; while there are plenty of group courses and lectures, a significant amount of the training we receive throughout our careers will be between an instructor and a student, talking about concepts and maneuvers.

I find it easy to stay motivated about my flight education here, and I think the level of discussion and mental involvement plays a major role. On that note, I’m glad to see that over the past couple months there’s been a lot more commenting here on various articles. As a reader, especially as one of the dozens of feed subscribers out there, you might want to consider subscribing to the new site-wide comments feed. Sometimes interesting sub-topics crop up, and if you have questions about the more obscure topics it’s a great way to keep tabs on any answers.

important update:

For those of you using Redmond’s Own Internet Explorer, I’ve found and squashed the bug that was causing comment form problems, with help from Chris. Turns out IE doesn’t properly handle submit buttons that are images, and wound up throwing itself into a loop. Give it a try! :)