Training Industry Quarterly - Spring 2013 - (Page 36)

the braIn automatIcally pays attentIon to that whIch It has already seen or heard of short-term memory and consolidating it into long-term memory. The purpose of teaching or training is to facilitate that process. In more scientific terms, learning is a neurobiological process indicated by the growth and strengthening of connections between neurons. The stronger the connections between neurons, the more likely new learning will be encoded into long-term memory. This entails a kind of pattern checking, comparing new information to information already stored in the brain. Strengthening neuronal connections presents a challenge, however, because each brain is wired differently and has a preferred way of learning dependent upon the individual’s psychological, intellectual, and sensory profile. This suggests that no one curriculum is appropriate for all learners, a contradiction to how many learning institutions and training programs are presently set up. the Learning experience One of the basic principles to rely upon when attempting to solidify learning is that the brain seeks novelty above all else and is highly activated by anything new or unusual. Conversely, when the brain is bored, it stops paying attention and learning is impossible. Novelty can include the use of humor, movement, music, and other multisensory instruction, all of which stimulate the reward centers of the brain with a rush of endorphins as well as oxygen in the case of laughter and movement. When we engage novelty in the learning experience, we also are activating the hippocampus, an area Learning Redefined learning can be defined as moving data out of short-term memory and consolidating it into long-term memory. the purpose of teaching and training is to facilitate that process. 36 of the brain associated with memory retention. The involvement of multiple senses in a learning experience results in faster neuronal processing and denser encoding of information in multiple areas of the brain. This suggests the importance of delivering our message to the brain through as many senses as possible. Some of you will recall that in the “olden days” we sang our alphabet and times tables, sometimes while stomping out a rhythm with our feet at the same time. The take-away here is that the more senses engaged, the more parts of the brain involved in storing the information, and the more likely the retrieval of that information later. In addition, presenting two stimuli at once strengthens neural connections even more so. These brain principles alone suggest that there are no limits to the possibilities of designing exciting and creative learning experiences. There is another dimension of brain functioning to keep in mind when designing effective learning experiences and that is that the brain has two hemispheres, each which processes information differently. Research on right-brain/left-brain functioning has seemed to coincide with the general realization that there is a critical need in corporate and academic settings for rightbrain thinkers who demonstrate holistic reasoning, pattern recognition, and the interpretation of emotional, non-verbal communications. Institutions that are cognizant of this aspect of brain functioning can enhance creative thinking throughout their organizations, and educators and trainers who learn to teach to both the right and the left hemispheres of the brain can enhance considerably the learning experience. No matter which hemisphere you choose to address first, you have to do so powerfully to catch a person’s attention because you have no more than a few minutes to hold it. In addition, the brain can only hold onto a few ideas at once in short-term memory. Overloading the brain with a continuous input of data into short-term memory is not productive because the brain will begin to “kick out” excess data — anything over three to five pieces of data at a time — and may be getting even smaller with the advancement of the digital age. Complicating things further is that we are not really in control of which things the brain pays attention to. The brain automatically pays attention to that which it has already seen or heard — what it has experienced in the past. To override this automatic response, we must create interest in new material by matching it up in some way to prior experiences. If attention is lost, however, there are techniques for recovering it. For instance, alternately shifting between a narrow (the details) and a wide (the big picture) focus when presenting difficult concepts is an effective technique for holding the attention and for solidifying information into memory. designing effective Learning experiences There are some basics to take into account when designing learning experiences. For instance, we learn best by observation. In addition, because the brain has very little neuronal territory designated for language, written instruction by itself is the least effective way to stimulate learning. Techniques that stimulate learning include teaching others, which helps us solidify the material ourselves. In fact, people learn better when working with others toward a common goal. The trick to memory consolidation is having time to manipulate the new learning, frequent breaks to move from one aspect of the subject to another, and periodic refreshers throughout the learning experience. In this process, the use of stories is a powerful technique for consolidating information. A story not only catches the listener’s attention, it conveys more meaning because it uses words that activate different sensory Training Industry Quarterly, Spring 2013 / A Training Industry, Inc. magazine / www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ http://www.trainingindustry.com/TIQ

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Quarterly - Spring 2013

Training Industry Quarterly - Spring 2013
From Where I Sit: Back to the Basics
Table of Contents
Ad Index
Guest Editor: A Brave New World
Extracting Learning From Work
Poor Behavior: Your Brain is Partly to Blame
How to Design Engaging Training Programs
The Missing Link in Learning
Don't Let Training Be Half-Baked
What the Latest Brain Research Tells Us about Designing Learning that Sticks
Motivation: The Key to Learning Transfer
Improving Learning Outcomes with a Bite-Sized Strategy
Adult Development: Predicting Learning Success
From One Brain to Another: What We've Learned about Learning
Formalizing Informal Learning
Tracking Trends
Tweet Suite
Company News

Training Industry Quarterly - Spring 2013