Learning faster using multiple sources

The student's progress may be affected by the limitations of their teacher (whether that teacher is a human being or a book.) Not all teachers teach equally well; all teachers have weak as well as strong areas; teachers have their pet topics and the topics they tend to gloss over. Teachers may also differ in how much they understand what it is like to be a learner and not to know; they may have forgotten how confusing something may be that to them is second nature.

This is something I've noticed across a range of areas.

Example 1

When learning VBA (a computer language), I found that I needed to work with several different books because some books didn't explain some topics very well and just left me confused, other books left out some topics entirely, some had examples that were easy to follow while others had useful exercises to try. If I had stuck doggedly to one source it would have slowed my progress considerably. But by working with different sources, I was able to supplement the weaknesses of one source with the strengths of others.

Example 2

When learning to dance I noticed that my first teacher didn't seem to teach certain moves that I had seen in dances (such as flicks in Jive), but I was able to supplement this weakness by doing classes with other teachers. Similarly in my current style modern jive ( like West Coast Swing, but without the footwork) some teachers focus on complex arm patterns while others focus on dips. By being eclectic, it is possible to learn the best of what many have to offer rather than being held back by the limitations or preferences of a single teacher.

Apart from content there may also be limitations in how well something is explained. As a beginner you may feel that the fault lies with you if you don't understand something. But it is just as likely that the teacher or author hasn't explained it very well and may just not be that good at communicating their knowledge. It may even be that they don't understand it that well themselves and that they take refuge in being obscure or ambiguous.


The lesson to learn from this is that you may progress faster if you seek out the best teacher of a particular part of what you seek to learn, using different teachers or sources for different topics.

You will catch more fish with a net than you would with a fishing pole!