FAA Fundamentals of Instructing (FOI)Human Behavior and Effective CommunicationHard
After a student pilot correctly performs an engine-failure-after-takeoff procedure to standard, the flight instructor has the student continue practicing the identical procedure repeatedly over several more lessons, well beyond the point where the student first met the standard. What learning principle best justifies continuing practice after proficiency has already been demonstrated?
- ALaw of primacy
- BNegative transfer of learning
- CClosure
- DOverlearning
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. Overlearning
Overlearning is the continued practice of a skill after it has been learned to proficiency, intended to make the response more automatic and reliable, particularly for emergency procedures where hesitation could be dangerous. Because the instructor kept drilling the already-mastered procedure to build automaticity, overlearning is the correct principle.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Law of primacy concerns the strong impact of what is taught first, not repeated practice after mastery.
- B. Negative transfer occurs when prior learning interferes with new learning, which is not described here.
- C. Closure refers to the psychological need to complete an unfinished task, not extended drilling after success.
Overlearning
Continued rehearsal or practice of a skill after the learner has already achieved the desired level of proficiency, used to make the response more automatic, especially valuable for emergency procedures.
- Builds automatic, reliable performance under stress
- Especially important for critical/emergency procedures
- Excessive overlearning can occasionally cause boredom or complacency if not managed
Memory trick: Overlearning drills the emergency response until it becomes reflex, like slamming brakes without thinking.