Tip #835: Virtual Learning Success
“Virtual learning, when done right, can be dramatically more effective than in person workshops.” David Rock
Our ultimate intent when we design and deliver training programs, whether face to face or virtual, is to change behavior. We want this behavior change to last and to quickly and easily come into play even when the individual is under stress and feeling anxious.
According to David Rock, who is the director of the NeuroLeadership Institute, easy recall of new skills under pressure only occurs if four conditions were present when the skill was first learned: Attention, Generation, Emotion and Spacing (AGES).
He mentions research findings that the key to effective learning is activating the hippocampus. This is a brain region that … Read the rest
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
Tip #803: The Biology of Learning
“Learning is about biology.” James Zull
I have been reading an intriguing book, The Art of Changing the Brain- Enriching the Practice of Teaching by Exploring the Biology of Learning, by James E. Zull. Professor Zull is a Professor of Biology and Biochemistry at Case Western University and the Director of The University Center for Innovation in Teaching and Education.
Kolb’s Learning Cycle and the Brain
Zull correlates David Kolb’s experiential learning model with how the brain physically functions.
Kolb’s experiential learning model is a cycle of learning that begins with concrete experience. The cycle then moves to reflective observation, abstract hypothesis and active testing, which starts the cycle again.
The passage below is drawn directly from Zull’s … Read the rest
Tip #801: Being an Adult
“Successfully functioning in a society with diverse values, traditions and lifestyles requires us to have a relationship to our own reactions rather than be captive of them. To resist our tendencies to make right or true, that which is nearly familiar, and wrong or false, that which is only strange.” Robert Kegan
We know that children grow in stages (for example, we’ve heard of, if not experienced, the terrible two’s). Well, according to Dr. Robert Kegan, a former Harvard psychologist, adults also transition through different stages. Becoming an adult isn’t about learning new things, it’s about transitioning into higher stages of development and maturity.
Natali Morad describes these five stages:
- Stage 1 — The Impulsive Mind (early childhood). Here the
Tip #797: Learning Science Breakthroughs
“Learning how to learn is life’s most important skill.” Tony Buzan
According to Amanda Moritz-Saladino, in an article most recently revised in 2017, there have been at least ten big breakthroughs in the science of learning.
- More information doesn’t mean more learning. The brain can get overloaded, so, to avoid that, we can chunk information, build on positive transfer and eliminate non-essential information.
- The brain is a highly dynamic organ. Neuroplasticity means that the brain can grow new neurons and adapt to new situations at any age.
- Emotion influences the ability to learn. Uncomfortable or stressful learning environments should be avoided because they generate negative emotions, causing the limbic system to shut off access to learning and
Tip #784: How is Your Physical Intelligence?
“Physical intelligence underpins our cognitive and emotional intelligence.” Claire Dale, Patricia Peyton
No, this isn’t about starting an exercise program. And yes, this is the first time I’ve heard of it. But I thought it was worth passing on to you.
Physical intelligence is “the ability to detect and actively manage the balance of chemicals in our brains so that we can achieve more, experience less stress and live more happily.”
In their book Physical Intelligence, Claire Dale and Patricia Peyton explain the four key elements of physical intelligence and the brain chemicals associated with them. I’ve added in [brackets] the emotional intelligence element that may be influenced by the physical intelligence element:
- Strength: this comprises inner strength and
