the short version
- An expert’s skill is mostly invisible. They make dozens of small calls without saying why, so a new hire copies the moves and misses the reasons.
- Cognitive apprenticeship is a way to make that thinking visible, then hand the work over step by step.
- At the start the coach carries most of the work. By the end the learner carries almost all of it. The handover is the whole point.
step through it
Coach carriesLearner carries
What the coach does
On the job
Move on when
The coach/learner split shows the direction of the handover. It is not a measured figure.
if you train people at work
| Tip | Why |
|---|---|
| Think out loud | The new hire can see your hands, not your head. Say what you check and why, even when it feels obvious. |
| Take supports away on purpose | A checklist that never goes away becomes the job. Set a date to drop it. |
| Ask why, not only what | If they can explain their choice, they can handle the next case that looks a bit different. |
| Skip what they already know | Someone with experience doesn’t need to watch you from the start. Ask them to do the task first, then decide where to begin. |
| End with something new | Working alone on the case you showed them is not the finish line. Handling one you never showed them is. |
Based on the six methods in Collins, Brown and Newman, Cognitive Apprenticeship: Teaching the Craft of Reading, Writing, and Mathematics (1987). The workplace examples are made up for illustration. Built with Claude Code.