The document discusses how NASA master practitioners learn how to do their jobs. It describes a session where 70 NASA masters were asked how they learn. Their responses were organized into mind maps showing that they learn through experience, mistakes, mentors, teamwork, education and training, conversations, personal networks, and continuing education. The document also presents a learning continuum that shows the importance of different learning methods increases over the course of a career. It concludes by requesting information from others on how they and their teams learn.

1. How We Learn: Developing Expertise at NASA
February 27, 2008
Dr. Ed Hoffman
Matt Kohut
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

2. Data Gathering
Masters Forum 14 - April 2007
We divided 70 NASA master practitioners into small groups and
asked them to answer one question: how do you learn how to do
your job?
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

3. How Do We Learn? #1
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

4. How Do We Learn? #1 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

5. How Do We Learn? #2
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

6. How Do We Learn? #2 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

7. How Do We Learn? #3
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

8. How Do We Learn? #3 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

9. How Do We Learn? #4
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

10. How Do We Learn #4 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

11. How Do We Learn? ?#5
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

12. How Do We Learn #5 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

13. How Do We Learn? #6
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

14. How Do We Learn? #6 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

15. How Do We Learn? #7
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

16. How Do We Learn? #7 (mind map)
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

17. Learning Continuum
Hands-on
Mistakes/ opportunities
Mentors
failures
College Action learning Experience
IMPORTANCE
Teamwork
Training Water cooler Personal
courses conversations network
Grad school/
advanced degree
Education
Continuing ed./
prof. development
0 10 20 30
YEARS ON THE JOB
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov

18. Request for Data
• How do you learn?
• How does your project team learn?
NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership
http://appel.nasa.gov