Another important aspect from the Foundation category of the FLOW framework is prior knowledge.
Prior knowledge, from a cognitive perspective, is the amount of and quality of previous knowledge, experiences, and problem-solving.
Again, there isn't research on graduate students and prior knowledge specifically, but we do know prior knowledge impacts learning. For example, in studies comparing how novices and experts solve problems.
First, novices are not little experts (Kirschner & Hendrick, 2020). Experts tend to have more knowledge about content, problems, and solutions. This means they approach problems differently than novices.
Are grad students experts or novices? It depends on your individual situation but I think they are a bit of both. I think grad students are experts in some areas and novices in others.
This is why I believe grad school can be so challenging to navigate and why we compare ourselves to other grad students so often. We can sense our own areas where we are novices and experts. For example, I had a lot of experience writing, working with others, and reading. I was weak in research skills and quantitative methods.
As a result, I often compared myself to students who were experts in my areas of weakness, rather than also taking into consideration the areas of strength and expertise I possessed.
A First Peoples Principles of Learning is: Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story (FNESC, 2006).
From Indigenous knowledge, we know that memory, history, and story have play an important role in learning.
If you are finding yourself feeling frustrated or comparing yourself to others, taking the time to assess your prior knowledge and take stock of where you stand now can help you see how far you've come.
This is why prior knowledge is crucial for grad students - it can help build self-efficacy, help you fine tune your goals, and monitor your progress toward those goals. These are all vital parts of self-regulating your learning and spending time writing down your successes through updating your CV, keeping your LinkedIn profile current, or reviewing your successes can help you feel more like the expert you are.
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