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Thanks. Mastery-- ".....skill in a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable...at that certification level".PADI defines mastery as: "meeting meeting Knowledge Assessment requirements listed under Administrative Procedures. During confined and open water dives, mastery is defined as performing the skill so it meets the stated performance requirements in a reasonably comfortable, fluid, repeatable manner as would be expected of a diver at that certification level." p. 24 and 25 PADI Instructor Manual, 2017.
As a DM you should have heard of it. If you haven't it means you have not read the standards.
The concept of mastery has been around since the late 60s. Here is another link for an explanation: http://www.nyu.edu/classes/keefer/waoe/motamediv.htm
NAUI states "In the educational concept of conditioning, i.e., the overlearning of skills. NAUI Instructors should
structure every course to ensure adequate training and practice time." p. 9 NAUI S&P, 2017.
Here is something I've noticed - instructors have taken the PADI slates confined water 1 through 5 and interpreted it as each session is conducted once and then move on, rather than taking the time to master the skills. Years ago as a DM candidate (PADI and NAUI) I was told that PADI does not allow an instructor to go above standards. This is entirely not correct. I've spoken to PADI about this and one can teach above standards so long as it has purpose and benefit.
Again, what has diminished is the amount of time students spend on developing their skills, not standards. This is the fault of consumer (who wants it now without spending time), the instructor (who is willing to shorten training time), and the resorts/operators/shops (who are not able or refuse, for whatever reason, to require more time be spent on developing mastery).
So that is PADI's definition in the Standards.
Let's see--- "reasonably"....hmm. That word to me doesn't fit well with mastery.
"fluid"....well, OK.
"at that certification level"..... and exactly what level of Mastery is the OW level?
"repeatable"--- OK, but once done successfully, IS it repeated to see if it's repeatable, or do we just assume one time done "reasonably comfortably" is good enough to be called "mastered"?
I'll say it-- I think it's a pretty vague definition on PADI's part. As I proposed before, maybe something like--"You have to successfully complete the skill (even if not "fluid" enough?) 5 times in a row"---would be a better definition.
I agree completely with your last paragraph.--- Leading to John's paragraph: "Learning is the constant and time is the variable....regardless of the amount of time..."
Yes, at our shop, and I assume many others, a student who really CAN'T do a skill or skills in the time ALLOTTED for the pool sessions can elect to get private sessions or join a future class and give it another go. That doesn't address the student who successfully did the skill(s?), but though it was "reasonably comfortable and fluid" in the instructor's eyes, was not at all mastered (back to whoever's definition of that).
....not move on until prerequisite skills have been mastered...."
That's a given. Learning the Major scale before you know the 8 notes in it won't work.
Shurite7, When I took the DM course in '09, owning the instructor's manual was not required. Didn't spend the money buying one and had I read through it at the shop I would not have remembered a whole lot with my memory--certainly not a definition of mastery. I'm pretty sure I knew what I needed to know to assist on courses. Maybe it's a requirement now?
As I mentioned, I often saw students perform a skill once--doing what I would say was an OK job. And that's it. Not mastered in MY book. Probably witnessed this on courses with each of the 11 instructors I assisted, and IMO I would classify all 11 as at least good instructors if not better than good. I think it probably is the norm because of what you said in your last paragraph.