Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2017 - 11

SCIENCE OF LEARNING
SRINI PILLAY, M.D.

APPLYING

THE SCIENCE OF

EXPERIENTIAL
LEARNING
Whenever we learn, our brain changes.
One powerful way to change our brains
is learning by doing, or experiential
learning. This type of learning allows for
immediate feedback from our actions
through rewards or punishments. As a
result, we may decide whether to proceed
or choose another path to our goals.
Experiential learning makes our brains
emit various signals. In general, they
respond to error, and as we integrate
information, they predict error.
Optimal experiential learning requires
a sensitivity to both response and
prediction, with a simultaneous capacity
to course-correct when necessary. Our
brains become better at prediction
and course correction when we
learn to update our assumptions. An
interconnected network of brain regions
executes these various functions.

SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES AND
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
1. Experiential learning is not generalizable. When
we teach individuals by using examples
or symbolic situations (e.g., learning
to skydive to demonstrate how to take
more risks at work), it rarely transfers
to the actual situation at work. Various
experiments have confirmed that
learning is specific to the situation in
which it occurs.
Recommendation: When you design a
workshop, the experience should be like
the actual situation.
2. Some forms of experiential learning do transfer.
Certain video game experiences defy
the general rule that training must
be specific. When people are trained

on a video game, for example, they
experience improvements in many
aspects of thinking, such as tracking
multiple objects at once or filtering
out distractions.
Recommendation: Do not assume a video
game is generalizable; consult with an
expert to see if it is.

MINDFULNESS
WILL HELP UNLOCK
LEARNING POTENTIAL.

forming predictions based on available
data. This function is activated when
you stimulate the brain by taking your
mind off focused tasks. It gives the brain
a chance to combine information, make
associations, and deduce or infer what
might happen.
Recommendation: Build specific periods of
un-focus into your day. Whether it is a
nap or mind-wandering, un-focusing
will allow your brain to become a better
prediction machine, and you will feel
more self-connected.

3. Use anxiety and mindfulness judiciously when
learning from experience. In the brain, error
signals are best managed mindfully so
that we can register what we are doing
wrong without becoming derailed by
judging ourselves. Although a certain
amount of anxiety can be helpful, too
much will derail you from your goals.

5. Pay attention to subtle body signals.
Experiential learning can also be
learning from subtle body signals. A
"gut feeling" or some undefinable, yet
palpable signal, may be important. This
is embodied cognition, and it assumes
that the body is not separate from the
mind, but is a constituent of it.

Recommendation: Mindfulness will help
unlock learning potential. There are
two kinds of helpful mindfulness:
meditative mindfulness and socio-cognitive
mindfulness Meditative mindfulness
requires anchoring the mind to the
present moment with awareness and
acceptance by focusing on one's
breathing. In contrast, socio-cognitive
mindfulness involves categorizing
situations, being aware of the social
situation from multiple perspectives,
and reflecting on the context of the
new learning.

Recommendation: Pay attention to subtle body
signals. Pause, investigate and consider
what might be going on. It will help you
take advantage of subtle, yet important
aspects of experiential learning.

4. Prepare your prediction networks. This is
possible by giving your brain a rest
from too much focus. Your brain is
constantly calculating the future by

For any experiential learning, first
assess whether the learned skills are
transferable. Then, make time for
mindfulness, un-focusing and assessing
body signals to take full advantage of
the sense and response, prediction and
intuitive capabilities of your brain.
Dr. Srini Pillay is the CEO of NeuroBusiness
Group. He is also assistant professor (part-time)
at Harvard Medical School and teaches in
the executive education programs at Harvard
Business School and Duke CE. Email Srini.

T R A I N I N G I N DUSTR Y MA GAZ INE - EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING 20 1 7 I WWW. T RAI NINGINDU S T RY . C OM/ MAGAZ I NE

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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896818/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16359652 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5390700/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3112331/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3634974/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2858411/ http://pandora.nla.gov.au/tep/147390 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23490070 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23490070 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7412873 http://www.trainingindustry.com/ezine.aspx

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Training Industry Magazine - July/August 2017

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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_spring2022
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https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/trainingindustry/tiq_20210910
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