Discovery method boosts ego
· By: Terry Allen
· Date: 1995-03-09
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But it's not good instruction
Terry Allen is the Training Director for Young Drivers of Canada.
This article originally appeared in Vol. 5, Number 1 of Driver/Education, in March, 1995
The "discovery method" of driver training involves taking raw novices and starting them off on a long, straight, multi-lane street in moderate to heavy traffic. It has been called the "immersion" approach by its supporters and the "crash and burn" approach by its detractors.
The (usually) unstated aim of the discovery procedure is to allow the student to experience the driving task and to learn either by self-discovery (experimentation) or by osmosis, in much the same way an infant learns language.
In fairness, it must be stated that this method can work with carefully selected students under the guidance of a particularly charismatic and persuasive instructor-one who recognizes the power of suggestion. For the majority of students, however, its effectiveness is marginal and its use often results in confusion and dissatisfaction. The student then requests a transfer to an orthodox instructor, or the instructor gives up.
None of the above can be considered news, yet this method of instruction is tried by almost all instructors at some point in their careers. It has been suggested that this represents laziness on the part of the instructor.
Perhaps it is, although it would seem that this approach would require the patience of a saint and the observational prowess and reflexes of a pilot. The appeal of this approach is to be found elsewhere, in the instructor's psyche.
It must be a very gratifying experience to take a novice, first time out, and guide him or her, by voice alone, through heavy traffic and complex intersections. It requires absolute confidence. The instructor must appear to the student to have absolute confidence in the student's ability and the student must have absolute confidence in the instructor's ability. And finally, the instructor, in order to satisfy the first case, must be absolutely self-confident.
The situation resembles the cliche movie scene. Following some in-flight mishap, the ruggedly handsome, hard-drinking pilot "talks down", by radio, an aircraft flown by a passenger with no aeronautical training. One might expect the discovery instructor to lean out the car window and yell "Look Ma, no hands!" midway through the first lesson.
Instructors who intuitively recognize the effectiveness of positive suggeston seem particularly susceptible to attempting this approach.
There is, however, another appeal. On a psychological level, this approach reinforces the child-parent aspect of the student-instructor relationship and confers god-like power on the instructor. This should not be confused with the respect and gratitude shown an orthodox instructor by his or her students.
The latter is the result of a satisfactorily fulfilled contract. The former results from an unhealthy and unwarranted manipulation of the situation. It would seem to be in the best interest of all concerned that any instructor using this approach question his or her motivation very carefully.
In any learning situation (particularly one involving psychomotor skills) self-discovery, osmosis, and intuitive learning are all present.
The driving task is no exception. It must be categorically stated that these modes are quite clearly inadequate in most cases. The evidence to support this assertion is visible every day on any street or highway. To put it colloquially: if self-learning is so great, why are there so many bad drivers out there?
The alternative-programmed learning-involves a demonstration of proper eye, hand, and foot usage in relation to the speed of the car; the location of reference points such as lanes, curbs, and proper targets; followed by student driving under the control of verbal descriptions of each of these tasks-utilizing as few words as possible, at exactly the correct time, until the proper driving skills are learned.
Proper instruction of technique and appropriate timing in a low-presssure
driving environment will allow the student to master the important skills of
defensive driving while interacting with other drivers. This will reduce their
risk of collision. 
