Tarleton U Kickoff Reflections

Monday and Tuesday we were at Tarleton University presenting our Knowledge Vault concepts and how they create perceptual-cognitive learning.

For the next six weeks, the students will be doing the three-bullet drill and the flashlight drill. They will also be looking at the trap kill shot review, 10-minute sporting kill shot review and the skeet review that we will be doing this week.

They have already shot a baseline in both trap and skeet, so we will be able to chart their progress of how many fewer targets they miss as they go through the next six weeks. To say we are excited about this study would be an understatement.

Threshold Concepts

Here are a few of our reflections on the last two days:

It seems that the more we do this, the more we understand what really stands in the way of becoming proficient with a shotgun on a moving target.

The threshold concept of the ability to correctly and consistently move and mount the gun without looking at it (or even thinking about it) is paramount to not just being able to hit a moving target but the rate at which the brain can learn new things that affect efficiency as well as result.

This was so evident yesterday with the group!

The shooters who had the most filler in their brain were the ones who learned the new concepts the quickest. They were able to shift the paradigms in their brains and fire the circuits in different patterns. And they had the best attitude about understanding that failure leads to success.

They also had the least amount of fear. Said another way, they are the most confident of the group, which eventually leads to competence and the beginner’s mind.

Greeting Failure

This is another threshold concept that is not being taught in our schools of today that can be the biggest outcome of a program like yours.

The threshold concept that failure is not only sought but something that should be greeted because it is essential for learning at any level is a life lesson that will serve the students well throughout their lives and all the lives they touch.

Please emphasize to them the importance of doing the gun mount drills and practicing with the gun out of their shoulder when not shooting skeet or trap. This will enable them to do all the shotgun games more efficiently and their improvement rate will soar instead of sputter.

More later as I contemplate.