Tip #826: Training for the AGES

On June 8, 2020, Posted by , In brain research,learning, By ,,,,, , With Comments Off on Tip #826: Training for the AGES

“I am still learning.” Michelangelo, age 87

We all want our training to stick and for newly learned knowledge and skills to result in positively changed behaviors in the worksite. According to the NeuroLeadership Institute, if we meet four conditions: attention, generation, emotion and spacing, we can activate the hippocampus. This is important because the hippocampus is a region of the brain that is active when new information is embedded into long-term memory. The following information is drawn from an article titled: “The AGES Model can help learning stick,” by Jay Dixit, Jon Thompson and Mary Slaughter.

The first condition, attention, seems obvious. Participants in a learning program will not retain anything if they haven’t been paying attention. … Read the rest

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Tip #700:  Do You Know Your Emotional Style?

On December 5, 2017, Posted by , In brain research, By ,,,,,,,,,,, , With Comments Off on Tip #700:  Do You Know Your Emotional Style?

“Rather than being a luxury, emotions are a very intelligent way of driving an organism toward certain outcomes.” Antonio Damasio

Neuroscientist Richard Davidson spent almost 40 years studying the brain mechanisms that underlie our emotions. He determined that individuals have unique and consistent ways of responding to life experiences. These emotional styles are governed by specific identifiable brain circuits.

In his book, The Emotional Life of Your Brain, co-authored with Sharon Begley, he describes six emotional styles:

  1. Self-Awareness: How well you perceive the physical sensations in your body that reflect your emotions. (Self-awareness is determined by the ability of the insula to interpret signals from the body and organs.)
  2. Sensitivity to Context: How good you are at regulating your
… Read the rest
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Tip #546: Must-Haves For Real Learning

On December 1, 2014, Posted by , In brain research, By ,,,,,,, , With Comments Off on Tip #546: Must-Haves For Real Learning

“Concentrating on the essentials. We will then be accomplishing the greatest possible results with the effort expended.” Ted W. Engstrom

According to David Rock, the director of the NeuroLeadership Institute and the author of Your Brain at Work:

“When designing learning events, research points to four must-haves to embed new ideas… These four elements — attention, generation, emotion and spacing — form the AGES model. High AGES is necessary for people to recall ideas before we even get to the question of how to build habits.” 

Let’s consider each of these four “must-haves” in turn. We will begin with what Mr. Rock has to say about them and then discuss any supporting research or principles.

  1. Attention

“First, attention … Read the rest

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