Your Brain on Learning
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The document discusses how learning design can be improved based on neuroscience research findings. It summarizes key findings: attention spans are short so learning must be engaging; generating insights takes time and opportunities for reflection; emotions strongly influence learning so experiences should tap into positive emotions; and spaced learning over multiple sessions improves long-term recall. However, most corporate learning misses opportunities due to constraints of classroom and online courses. The presentation advocates designing learning experiences that get and keep learner attention, allow time for generating insights through practice and community, engage emotions, and use spaced repetition to promote retention.
Your Brain on Learning
- 1. Your Brain on Learning Presented at Pearson CITE Conference 04.28.2015 Judy Albers Learning Strategist Intrepid Learning
- 2. Pearson & Intrepid Learning1 Neuroscience is changing learning design An explosion of brain research proves that… • Attention is critical. ○ Getting it and keeping it, when the average attention span is 5 seconds. • Generating insights takes time. ○ Learning is a journey. People need time and opportunities to make their own meaning. • Emotions govern. ○ The stronger we feel the right emotions, the more we learn. • Spaced learning sticks. ○ Longer term recall is best when we learn over several sittings. Source: “Your Brain on Learning” CLO Magagine, Apr-2015, quoting research from NYU
- 3. 2 But most corporate learning misses the boat The constraints of classroom and online courses can inhibit transformational learning. • Courses don’t live where people are looking ○ A learning experience begins with making people aware it exists, and making it sound fascinating. The best marketers know how. • Courses are designed around content ○ To generate insights, the learner has to be in the center of the experience. ○ Answer the questions in their heads. Meet all five moments of need. • Courses are designed around constraints ○ Courses have start and end times, but learning needs to be continuous. ○ People need ways to practice, reflect, and share. And time to make it real. ○ We can only afford to bring so many people into classrooms, never enough. • Course experiences fade. ○ Participant guides sit on shelves, eLearning gets lost in LMSs. ○ But an online learning journey, if it’s spaced and marketed, lives on. Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 4. 3 66% Of learning professionals have trouble getting people to engage with corporate learning Source: Bersin by Deloitte survey, 2014 Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 5. Attention Getting it. Keeping it. 4 Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 6. 5 People don’t learn without focused attention Borrow attention-getting practices from Marketing • Help me hear about it. ○ Marry the learning content map to the marketing editorial calendar. ○ Use great content in social media, adding more value to what’s hot • Give me content that’s contagious. ○ Marketers have researched what makes content go viral. We apply the same STEPPS in our shareable, bite-sized content. • Make every visit worthwhile, even fascinating! ○ We have five seconds to get their attention...after every click. ○ Enable each person to scan and find exactly what they need today. • Bring me back. ○ Our comprehensive technology stack will include ways to remind, refresh, and reinforce. ○ It will feel like a game, a journey. Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 7. 6 The art of crafting contagious content • Wharton marketing prof Jonah Berger studied what made New York Times articles go viral. • These six principles drive all sorts of things to become popular. • Our content will demonstrate them. Source: Contagious, by Jonah Berger Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 8. 7 Meeting the Five Moments of Learning Need For more information, see Meeting the Five Moments of Need Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 9. Insights Generating them takes time. 8 Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 10. 9 How to help people generate insights. People gain insight over time, in community with other learners. • We’re social learners. ○ People will have opportunities to learn from each other, ask the experts, and get feedback. • Generating insights takes time. ○ We’ll give people real world missions, time to practice, and ways to reflect on their experiences, making their own meaning. • We want to contribute our original insights. ○ The community builds the body of knowledge. Moderators reduce noise by curating the best ideas, and people find it fun, even addictive. Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 11. Emotions Tapping into the right ones. 10 Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 12. 6 Basic Emotions 7 Academic Emotions Curiosity Delight Flow Engagement Confusion Frustration Boredom Focus on these once people are committed to learning. Source: Annie Murphy Paul Anger Disgust Fear Joy Sadness Surprise To get people’s attention, appeal to these. Source: Paul Ekman We make decisions with our emotional brain and justify them with our rational brain. Pearson & Intrepid Learning11
- 13. 12 How do we tap into these emotions? • By delivering unique content in creative ways ○ A Pearson specialty, we refuse to create boring content. We’ll prevent negative academic emotions and generate positive ones. • By making it personal ○ Because what’s more fascinating than ourselves? Personalized assessments will show people their strengths and blind spots. • And comparable ○ Games tap into our competitive spirit, our desire to achieve, and to see how we stack up • And rewarding ○ Not just intrinsic rewards, but extrinsic ones, too. Like meaningful badges on your LinkedIn profile, validated and granted by Pearson. Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 14. Spacing Making learning stick. 13 Pearson & Intrepid Learning
- 15. 14 How to space learning so it sticks. Proven at Harvard, spaced repetition increases learning by up to 50% • Ways to prevent forgetting & enhance remembering ○ Spaced intervals ○ Repetition ○ Feedback • A technology stack that includes “push” and “pull” ○ Pull - The transformational learning experience is always there to ground learners, support them all their moments of need, and grow the body of knowledge ○ Push – Marketing platforms and spaced education games can keep them learning, and keep them coming back. Sources “The New Way Doctors Learn”, Time, Mar-2012 “When Remembering Really Matters”, Dr. Sharon Boller, DevLearn 2014 Pearson & Intrepid Learning