Recently I learned how to put together a memorial service and how to make cotton candy. The former was for the sad occasion of my father’s death and the latter was for my daughter’s elementary school fair. The commonalities are that, in both cases, assistance came from more experienced individuals, my knowledge sufficed for the occasions but had neither depth nor breadth, and the knowledge and skills are perishable in that they are unlikely to be used again.
What does it mean for learning to be perishable? Certainly, there is little difference between the process for acquiring perishable or more permanent learning because some degree of mastery is required: A memorial service needs to go smoothly and eager children must not be disappointed. I think what perishable learning ultimately means is that blinders go on.
In the case of the memorial service, I had little curiosity about the the psalms we chose or the reasoning behind order of events although my understanding of the mourning process is more comprehensive due to expert guidance. And, knowing that I may never make cotton candy again, I was less curious than I otherwise would have been about how the machine worked or the composition of the vibrantly colored powder, but may retain the optimal flick of the wrist that I mastered after a few tries.
Were these pursuits that would be repeated, I would have had far more questions. The answers could have led to new questions. Perishable learning is pervasive because of the multitude of situations that arise when one uses software once for a project or rents a car without bothering to master the bells and whistles. Perishable learning, therefore, is not merely learning that is discarded in the same way perishable foods are discarded after their time, but learning that does not invoke further pursuits and tangents.