Beagle
Fully concur. What you have described is the 'Demonstration-Performance Method' of teaching. Identification of the learning outcomes to the student, explanation and demonstration of the steps to achieve those outcomes and providing the student with the opportunity to practice under the instructors supervision. This is followed up with an evaluation of the students’ performance.
Many early NAV students spend too much time looking at the map and not enough time maintaining straight and level. In many cases this has been developed from instructors who lack sufficient confidence in their own basic navigation techniques. TAS, G/S and drift should be determined within the first twenty minutes of cruise followed by correction after the first or second fix. NAV cycles need only occur during a few minutes spanning estimates over a fix. Between fixes the student should be encouraged to concentrate on heading and altitude, monitor the systems and enjoy the scenery.
I think that many low-time instructors are themselves learning during NAV training and the student develops the ‘track-crawling’ habits from the instructors’ anxiety. It is also very difficult to teach NAV techniques when many short legs are flown. I have used the ‘out and back’ NAVEX frequently to build confidence and permit sufficient time for the student to experience the ‘time-speed-distance’ technique with built in 1:60 corrections. However I feel that instructors should have adequate NAV experience to develop confidence in the techniques they are teaching.