---
title: The Five Stages of Learning - ViRTUS
description: The Five Stages of Learning describes the process in which we learn new information, broken down into five stages. Learn more about how this works here.
---

[Skip to content](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/the-five-stages-of-learning#main-content)

[![Logo-Black-Square-4](https://blog.virtusinc.com/hs-fs/hubfs/Logo-Black-Square-4.png?width=250&height=250&name=Logo-Black-Square-4.png)](https://virtusinc.com/)

- [Home](https://virtusinc.com/)
- [Approach](https://virtusinc.com/approach/)
- [About Us](https://virtusinc.com/about/)
  
  Show submenu for About Us 
  
    - [Team](https://virtusinc.com/about/team/)
    - [Culture](https://virtusinc.com/about/culture/)
    - [Clients](https://virtusinc.com/about/clients/)
    - [Impact](https://virtusinc.com/about/impact/)
- [Expertise](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/)
  
  Show submenu for Expertise 
  
    - [Leadership Development](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/#leadership-development)
    - [Creative Strategic Planning](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/leadership-development/)
    - [Leadership Topics](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/sessions/)
- [Journal](https://virtusinc.com/journal/)

Open main navigation

Close main navigation

- [Home](https://virtusinc.com/)
- [Approach](https://virtusinc.com/approach/)
- [About Us](https://virtusinc.com/about/)
  
  Show submenu for About Us 
  
    - [Team](https://virtusinc.com/about/team/)
    - [Culture](https://virtusinc.com/about/culture/)
    - [Clients](https://virtusinc.com/about/clients/)
    - [Impact](https://virtusinc.com/about/impact/)
- [Expertise](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/)
  
  Show submenu for Expertise 
  
    - [Leadership Development](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/#leadership-development)
    - [Creative Strategic Planning](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/leadership-development/)
    - [Leadership Topics](https://virtusinc.com/expertise/sessions/)
- [Journal](https://virtusinc.com/journal/)
- [Connect](https://virtusinc.com/connect/)

[Connect](https://virtusinc.com/connect/)

[leadership](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/leadership) [learning](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/learning) [development](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/development)

# The Five Stages of Learning

 Published by [Mike Desjardins](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/author/mike-desjardins) on Feb 13, 2009 2:03:13 AM

**The Five Stages of Learning:**

1. Unconscious incompetence – I don’t know what I don’t know
2. Conscious incompetence – I know what I don’t know
3. Conscious competence – I know what I know
4. Unconscious competence – I don’t know what I know
5. Reflective or enlightened competence – I am aware that I don’t know what I know but I can shift back into conscious competence to teach someone else

 

###### Related News Articles

[leadership](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/leadership), [learning](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/learning), [development](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/development)

#### [What Entrenches Learning?](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/what-entrenches-learning)

**What Entrenches Learning?**

[leadership](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/leadership), [learning](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/learning), [development](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/development), [Andragogy](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/andragogy)

#### [Adult Experiential Learning Cycle](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/adult-experiential-learning-cycle)

**Adult Experiential Learning Cycle**

[leadership](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/leadership), [human resources](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/human-resources), [development](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/development)

#### [From the Archives: How Do I Turn My Managers Into Leaders?](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/from-the-archives-how-do-i-turn-my-managers-into-leaders)

The key to helping [turn managers into leaders](https://virtusinc.com/expertise#leadership-development) is to ensure the process you use is simple and easy...

[leadership](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/leadership), [human resources](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/human-resources), [learning](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/learning), [development](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/development), [Andragogy](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/andragogy), [culture](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/culture), [EI](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/tag/ei)

#### [Why Most Leadership Development Initiatives Fail](https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/why-most-leadership-development-initiatives-fail)

 Over the past ten years we’ve had the opportunity to work with well 1,000+ executives and CEOs,...

# ViRTUS Inc.

Mailing Address: P.O. Box 3166 Vancouver, BC V6B 3X6 | P: 604.519.7000 | F: 604.648.8320 | E: info@virtusinc.com

© 2026 ViRTUS Inc.

```json
{
  "@context" : "https://schema.org",
  "@type" : "BlogPosting",
  "author" : {
    "@type" : "Person",
    "name" : "Mike Desjardins",
    "url" : "https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/author/mike-desjardins"
  },
  "dateModified" : "2023-06-26T15:31:24.937Z",
  "datePublished" : "2009-02-13T10:03:13.000Z",
  "headline" : "The Five Stages of Learning - ViRTUS",
  "mainEntityOfPage" : {
    "@id" : "https://blog.virtusinc.com/virtus-inc-leadership-journal/journal/the-five-stages-of-learning",
    "@type" : "WebPage"
  },
  "publisher" : {
    "@type" : "Organization",
    "logo" : {
      "@type" : "ImageObject",
      "url" : "https://blog.virtusinc.com/hubfs/Untitled%20design%20(2).png"
    },
    "name" : "ViRTUS Inc."
  }
}
```