The Second Barrier — Too Steep a Gradient

The next barrier is too steep a study gradient. That is, if a student is forced to undertake the study of a new subject matter without having understood the previous subject matter he studied earlier, confusion results.

The Second Barrier: Too Steep a Gradient (1) Learning to ride a bicycle is often too steep a gradient for a child. (2) But a set of training wheels makes it possible for him to progress. This is a proper gradient.

There is a different set of physiological reactions which occur as a result of this barrier. When one hits too steep a gradient, a sort of confusion or reelingness is experienced.

Commonly, the difficulty is ascribed to the new subject matter, when in fact it really stems from the previous one. The person did not fully understand some part earlier and then became confused. This barrier to study is very pronounced in subjects in which the performance of physical tasks is required.

Take the example of a person learning to drive. He cannot properly coordinate his feet and hands to manually shift the car into gear while keeping in one lane. The difficulty will be found to lie in some earlier task he should have learned about shifting gears. Possibly he was not yet comfortable shifting through the gears with the engine off and the car at rest. If this is recognised, the gradient can be cut back and the person brought up to a point where he can easily shift the gears in a motionless car before performing the same task while in motion.