A gradient is something that gets steeper and steeper.

It starts out simple and gets more and more complex.

Let's say you want to teach somebody how to swim. The first action might be to have them go look at a swimming pool.

As you went along the actions would get more and more complicated. You might have them read a book on swimming. Then put their foot in the water. Then they might put in their foot and their leg. And then the foot, leg and waist.

If the person hangs up on one of the actions you go to the action done just before. If he couldn't get in up to his waist, then you would have him put his foot and leg in again until he felt very good about it, and then try and get him up to his waist again. (You may even have to go all the way back to his foot and make sure that he is certain about that step.)

You can make the mistake of failing to undercut the gradient in the very first step. In the example above if he has trouble with the first step of looking at the. swimming pool, you might have him go look at a partially full bath tub.

The point is the person must be certain about an action or the next ones will hang him up. If he has the slightest bit of confusion or uncertainty on one step, he will fall on his head on the next ones.

So to find the skipped gradient go to where the person is having trouble. Then go to the step just before that where he thought he was doing well and you will find some kind of confusion. You may even have to go one step before this one and find another confusion.

When you find the basic confusion or uncertainty the student drills on it until he feels good about it and then proceeds with the next step.

Knowing these datum’s every student can walk with certainty.