Listening to information and understanding does not equal learning
If you are reading this you’ve probably experienced or come to the conclusion that as long as you are just passively sitting and listening to trainers talk, you may not be learning much.
We know that everything a teacher or trainer does or says in some way influences our brain as learners – the question I often ask myself is: ‘Do you just want me to hear you or learn so I remember and use it?’ and if you want me to remember it you might want to consider doing something to support my brain...because listening to your explanations and understanding does not always mean that I am learning and can transfer it into something practical.
I attend a fair amount of personal development seminars and courses and it can be frustrating when the trainer / facilitator is unaware of what is going on with me and the group and what we need so that ‘information’ is remembered and transformed into something I can use out of that training room.
Meaning
Learning is an ‘active’ process, what we know so far about what it takes to learn (so I can remember and use it) challenges the ‘chalk and talk’ methods we may have experienced.
One of the biggest lesson for me, is that the trainer cannot create ‘meaning’ for me, they can offer what it ‘means’ to them and remain curious about how their meaning differs from others, because ‘meaning’ happens in my unique brain, each learner makes sense of a word or sentence in their own way as we internally question what we are visually seeing or hearing and feeling.
So asking me ‘…and what does this mean to you Paola?’ it’s really helpful. We are hard-wired to make meaning out of everything, a word, a verb, an object or experience, the brain is a ‘meaning-making’ machine - actually we also know that ‘meaning’ and ‘association’ go hand-in-hand. In the brain, even the most abstract concepts depend very much on our own experiences.
Association / Connections
A lot of trainers are aware of the power of good storytelling, we know from research it works because, when done well, it’s memorable and it engages me, the listener, on a higher level and an exceptional characteristic of storytelling is that it requires me to integrate and find meaning to information over time. I love a good story that takes me on a journey of discovery, but to grasp the meaning of the story, I must find connections — links between words, actions, events, and relationships, and at times these associations (and meaning) can be surprisingly different than the person sitting next to me or the trainer.
When I am learning and absorbing information, I compare and contrast it to my existing mental models, my experiences and personal associations to words, images and feelings. For instance, even if I know nothing of ‘astro-physics’ I already have a mental model of the universe and asking me ‘what do you already know about this Paola?’ is really valuable. Activating old knowledge facilitates integration of new knowledge, re-activating those old connections in my unique brain make it easier and quicker for new learning to stick on top, this makes the memory stronger and it’s a sure way for my brain to retain and remember.
A little time
And when I’ve been listening to enough information input, and all the above is taking place for me, then please help me digest it, give me a little time to do something with all the information I am holding in my head. And no, I don’t mean necessarily at the end of your piece and it’s time to ‘practice’, I mean during your explanation.
As we all know, it’s natural that whilst paying attention to you, the trainer, explaining and talking, I’m chasing my internal connections and thoughts or wanting to verbalise that memory that has just come up for me, so I need a little time to digest, to assimilate, to chew on and make meaning of what I’m seeing, hearing and feeling, time to process the information by reflecting or talking about it or drawing a diagram and link it and contrasting it with what I already know.
So carving out a little space, a few minutes in your session design for that camplex idea or new concept, to allow me to do whatever works for each person and what they are holding in their heads to push the concept into memory it’s a key component, and then we are all ready for more.
I have described a process that happens really quickly and unconsciously, we all have different processing times and needs and there’s more to really ensure learning and, most importantly learning transfer. It is important to know that attention is scarce in the brain, constant attention for extended periods of time is impossible, so you’ve got to work for it - and giving me a little time to process really helps my retention and learning transfer and I can then focus on your next bit of information.
Food for Thought for You:
- How do you plan sufficient processing and consolidation time in your design?
- How do you ensure you incorporate it in the right places?
Whilst neuroscience and neuro-linguistics will not solve all Learning and Development challenges, when I coach trainers and facilitators and share these tips, their engagement and retention results are always positive, ask me or let's exchange views for more brain-compatible tools for storing information for effective learning transfer and quicker design time or join me on Brain-Friendly Learning in London starting 30th Nov 18 Brain-Friendly Leaning Event BOOK your PLACE
Comments