Welcome to the Meta-Skill Challenge. This is an opportunity for you to learn a new skill alongside your peers. You'll learn new ways to improve skill acquisition and how to learn more effectively. You'll then reflect upon and share that process at our Meta-Skill Challenge Showcase for the chance to win big prizes.

You can find out more about the Challenge during our annual Kickoff event. If you cannot make the Kickoff event, we have a copy recorded here to provide an introduction. Watch the first video, then check out the TED talk above about the first 20 hours of skill development - which is the focus of the challenge. The final video will help explain the challenge, offer expectations and a few tips. Then navigate to Challenge Rules for more details and explore our many Resources as you select a skill.

Why a Skill Challenge?

Malcolm Gladwell helped popularize the idea that it takes 10,000 hours to master a skill (Gladwell 2008). Yet, to learn a new skill takes much less - and when learning is combined with “deep practice” and a clear 4-step process, you can learn much more effectively and intelligently. And that additional skill - metacognition - is helpful in all your academic and cultural pursuits!

To explore and test these ideas, you will pick a skill that you wish to develop during the course of the semester. While true expertise may require 10,000 hours, the focus of this challenge is on skill acquisition and discovery (the first 20 hours) rather than skill mastery.