The Learning Engine

16 May 2025

Newsletter 029: Why Performance Matters for Deep Learning

Greetings and salutations!

There are important differences between practice and performance: Practice is where we experiment, stumble, and slowly build confidence. Performance is where we really get to see what we’ve learned come alive, with all the messy, exciting, and nerve-wracking energy that comes with showing up when it counts!

In this issue, we will explore how performance gives us valuable feedback — not only on what we know, but on what helps us thrive. Performance is less of a final judgment; rather, performance is a partner in the learning process.

Let’s dig in!

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Ideas

Before we get into the specifics of performance, take a minute and review my Model for Learning. Please work yourself through the image, remembering specifics for each part and the connections in the model.

[For a much deeper explanation on the process of learning, check out this essay: That’s How Learning Works?!?! A Comprehensive Model for Understanding the Learning Process.]

The Point of Performance

The output for Belcher’s Model for Learning is called Purposeful Application, which includes practice and performance. Though both are included in Purposeful Application, the point of practice and performance are different.

The point of performance is to execute:

• Do the knowledge and skills in our conceptual models allow us to act decisively, flexibly, and skillfully — succeeding in every task?
• Can we integrate and adapt the knowledge and skills in our conceptual models, bringing together multiple conceptual models under pressure?

Through execution, the goal for performance is a 100% success rate. We want to use the knowledge and skills in our conceptual models well, succeeding at every task.

Even if we do not have a 100% success rate, we should still give maximum effort — putting our mind, body, and spirit fully into the performance. Putting ourselves fully into the performance shows us how the knowledge and skills in our conceptual models work, helping us understand what we need to focus on during the next practice sessions.

[Contrasted with the point of performance, the point of practice is to learn; if you want to read more, here is the link to last week’s newsletter: Newsletter 028: Practice with Purpose — Strategies for Deep Learning.]

Characteristics of Performance

Both practice and performance have specific roles to play in learning; to differentiate between their roles, I’ve created a spectrum of practice and performance.

I define Performance with these main characteristics:

• An open and complex environment.
• An unstructured sequence of tasks, with each task having high stakes and intensity.
• A focus on the knowledge and skills for a large number of conceptual models.

All three of the main characteristics happen for both “Practice the Performance” and “Full Performance,” with the only difference for these parts of the spectrum coming from the outcome of the performance. “Practice the Performance” is an inter-squad scrimmage or rehearsal for a production; you are doing the performance, but the performance does not count towards your win-loss record or artistic reputation. The “Full Performance” is a competitive game or live production of a show, with the outcome definitely counting towards your win-loss record or artistic reputation.

Performance and Learning

Though the point of performance is to execute, learning does happen through performance.

Most performances have breaks every three to five minutes; during these breaks, there is time for feedback and adjustments. Players and coaches can leverage the physical and mental space created by the break to discuss successes and failures, creating a learning loop of execution, feedback, and reflection. By using this learning loop, players and coaches can make technical and tactical changes — leading to adjustments for the next section of the performance.

In addition to learning during a performance, many players and coaches conduct an “After-Action Review” of the performance by analyzing audio, video, or thinking processes. These reviews give feedback for every level of execution during the performance, helping players and coaches understand both the high-level overview and specific details. The reviews also help players and coaches understand the areas of success and failure in the performance, showing the areas of focus for future practice sessions and performances.

By using the feedback and reflection both during a performance and later from the After-Action Review, players update the knowledge and skills in their conceptual models — which is learning!

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Stories

I’ve been in many performances throughout my life; here are a couple of stories.

Story 1: I’ve been fortunate to teach in schools where peer observations between teachers and coaching of teachers has happened. I’ve had many great teachers as colleagues, so I took the opportunity to observe their teaching performances. After my observation I had a discussion with the teacher, asking questions to understand their thinking. By doing this process I was able to bring in some of their ideas into my own work, making my own teaching better. In addition, other teachers observed my performances — doing After-Action Reviews to understand my performance. Although these reviews were uncomfortable at times, pushing through the discomfort helped challenge my own thinking and actions. Theses again helped me become a better teacher, which ultimately benefited the students!

Story 2: As with many teams, reviewing film of our games was a common practice for our high school football team. There was an unwritten expectation that players come to the school on Saturday morning to take care of our equipment and watch the film from the previous night. This session was for the players, so we would discuss what happened — good and bad — and think about ways to improve. The coaches also did their own film study, then the coaches would share their perspective; we as players also had opportunities to discuss our thoughts with the coaches. This process helped us improve throughout the season, finishing the season stronger than when we started.

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Questions

1. What do you think about my point for performance?
2. Are there any other main characteristics for performance that you would add?
3. What is the distinction between “Practice the Performance” and “Full Performance”?
4. How does performance help with the learning process?
5. Where does performance fit into my Model for Learning?
6. What did you learn from your last performance — and how can this help future practice and performance?

Learning happens when we share what we are thinking, so I would love to hear your answers! Also, you can use these questions as conversations starters with friends and family — hearing their answers and having a conversation would be great!

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If this newsletter resonated with you, please share on the socials and with someone who you think would also benefit; I would greatly appreciate any help in spreading these ideas!

Thanks for reading this newsletter — and all the best!

Nathan