Having to Teach? Make sure it Sticks!

 Having to Teach?  Make sure it Sticks!

By: Leighann Medlin

Leighann Medlin is a corporate trainer for US Bank.  She has worked at US Bank for two years; however, she was proactive in her career choice and made necessary network connections.  Which lead her to work alongside a senior corporate trainer for the last year and a half.  This mentor-ship prepared her for her new role as the sole corporate trainer for the Utah market.  During this mentor-ship she dissected the “Accelerated Learning Field book” and learned about adult learning theory, multiple intelligence's and learning intake styles.  She met with her mentor on a weekly basis to debrief what she learned and created action plans for future development.  She was then selected among a group of other leading professionals at US Bank to join a team of corporate trainers.   Leighann has a Bachelor’s of Science in Anthropology w/ a minor in Linguistics from Weber State University.   During her undergraduate studies she excelled in her classes and was fortunate to study abroad.  She visited continental Europe (France Germany, Austria and the Czech Republic).  She also coordinated a Community Engaged Learning Project at Apple Village retirement community.  She has presented two original works titled: Celtic Vanity and “What is appropriate?” : A Study in Physical Contact at Weber State University” in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Annual Undergraduate Research Conference in 2013 & 2014.  She is currently pursuing her Masters of Professional Communication at Weber State University; in the hopes that she may continue to prosper at US Bank.

We have all heard that retaining what you learn is never 100 %.  In fact, many of us have heard that it is much lower.  The story goes that we retain 5 percent of audio/visual cues, 10 percent of what we read, 20 percent if you throw in a visual aid (Ex: picture, chart or graph), 30 percent if you demonstrate the learning and so on and so forth.  We spend so much time on assigning a number and over generalizing them that we forget to understand the process of memory.  For that let’s first break down how our memory works.  There are 4 stages to remembering what we learn: Receive, Filter, Store and Recall.

When our brain receives new information it involves the use of the senses and whether or not the learner is paying attention.  Grabbing the learner’s attention relies on their intake style: visual, auditory or kinesthetic.  Visual learners make up 60 percent of the U.S. Population.  They have preferences for print, television, video and some computer based learning.  They prefer to watch while you are teaching them.  Auditory learners make up 15 % of the U.S. population.  They have preferences for radio, books on tape and TV. However, music tends to be a distraction and “jams their intake channel”, they much prefer silence when learning.  Kinesthetic learners make up 25 percent of the U.S. population.  They prefer to learn by doing.  Sitting still is difficult.  They learn best when they actively trying things out and taking a “hands on” approach.  Knowing how to spot these types of learners will help you to grab their attention to receive your message.  If the learner does not receive the message no learning can take place, you need this vital first step.

Once the message is received, the next step is to examine the message and make a decision based on two factors: emotional significance and the relationship to things already known.    Emotion has a very powerful effect on humans.  Numerous studies have shown that emotional events are recalled more often and with more clarity and detail than a regular event.  After our brains decide the emotional significance it then determines if this is new information or if it adds value to existing information already stored.  It is easier for the brain to start with the simplest task and sort information into a known category or make a new one.

Now the brain knows which information is important it needs to store it for future reference.  What file do we put this under so that the next time we might need it we can find it.  Things are easily recalled by use of mnemonic devices.  Mnemonics are memory devices that help a learner recall larger pieces of information, especially in the form of lists.  Many of you may remember in math class when you were learning the order of operations your math teacher may have taught you the phrase: “Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally”.  This is a common form of a mnemonic device called expression or word mnemonic.  It is effective because the mind remembers the phrase and then the attached meaning.  In this case, the first letter of each word corresponds to a step in the order of operations.

Now we have filed our information for later, let’s talk about how we retrieve it.  When you are trying to remember something your brain will attempt to “look up” the memory with clues from the context and the request.  The more clues the easier the recall.  There are critical influences on your memory.  Here are a few: primacy, recency, breaks, uniqueness, and emotion.  People tend to remember the first and last things in a learning event.  So staging the important pieces around those parts is useful.  Retention increases with many short breaks throughout the day instead of long breaks.  The more breaks mean more primacy and recency (first and lasts you have) which leads to a higher retention rate.  Making each workshop unique maybe even strange or unusual catches the learner’s attention and can strengthen memory.  Lastly, emotion helps the brain draw a strong link with new learning.

Many things can affect memory, such and age, other people remembering/perceiving things differently than you, whether you stored that memory as long or short term, and sleep.  Understanding how your memory works is the first step in learning retention. 

Here are some other tips to help with learning retention. 

Tip #1 - What Color is Best for Learning?

The brain pays attention to things that are bright, moving and unique.  That’s because the brain is always preoccupied with surviving; anything bright, moving or unique get the brain’s full attention in case it’s a threat.  Color perception uses the limbic part of the brain which means that it can significantly increase long-term retention.  If color is used incorrectly it can trigger the reptilian part of the brain and will relate the color to an unpleasant emotion.  Some things to consider when using color are: Avoid using red and green together, colorblind learners cannot differentiate between them, use primary colors for the safest results.  Use blue and grey for paper tests, assessments and evaluations.  Use white for new material.  Watch out for PowerPoints.  The templates that come with those packages tend to be overwhelming and can create anxiety.  Consider black type on a plain background and only use color for emphasis.

Tip #2 - Visual Impact in Learning

Learners retain more of the material not only from facilitated conscious activities but also subconsciously from the things they see, smell, hear and touch.  This is called peripheral learning.  To accomplish this type of learning you need to put visual aids on the walls that contain material that you will cover in class.  Your visual aids need to be varied so consider breaking them down as:  30% motivational, 30% learning objectives, 10% logistics (daily schedule etc.), and 30% Learner created. 

To continue stimulating the connection from your visual aids to the learning content, move the visuals from one part of the room to another as they are completed.  Group together the visuals that go together such as objectives and learner generated materials.  Use vivid graphics in learner material, overhead, on walls and job aids.  Ask learner’s to create symbols to use during review.  Ensure all graphics are consistent with the learning objectives.

Tip #3 - Does Seating Matter When You Learn?

The seating pattern of the workshop can drive the role the learning facilitator will play.  Learner’s faces will look toward the most important element in the room.  To keep the focus on the learners; have them face each other as much as possible while still having a clear view of the facilitator. 

People need personal space.  If they are packed to tightly you may increase anxiety and decrease learning ability.  People like choice.  If there are multiple options for seating and additional rooms for breakouts, break rooms or outside tables learning is improved. 

Seating patterns mean a great deal.  Each has its own strength and should be related to the topic or learning concepts.  Limit your groups, if any, to 3-5 people; odd numbers are the best for avoiding fights/arguments.  Leaders should be chosen using fun and random criteria such as, “the leader is the one born farthest from this room.”

Tip #4 - Refreshments Help Learning Retention

A study by Eric Jenkins in the New England Journal of Medicine found that learners who ate three traditional meals per day had less brain function in comparison with learners who ate 17 snacks through the day.  Less cognitive functioning can easily lead to more discipline problems and less self-esteem in class.  Even if there is no snack budget, providing snacks on at least one of the training days is very beneficial.

Tip # 5 - The Famous Instructor Effect

The “famous instructor effect” is very powerful.  You are the environment.  Instructors are looked at as authority figures. Learning best happens when the facilitator flies in from elsewhere.  Learners are less likely to listen to facilitators who work with them on a daily basis or are from the same city.  Even though you are seen as an authority figure, don’t be an expert.  The best tool in your teaching toolshed is the ability to teach your learner’s how to use their resources.  Learners learn better when they believe they can.  If you believe it, you can achieve it.  This is called the “Pygmalion Effect”.  As the facilitator you make of the participants what you expect them to be. 

Georgi Lozonav said, “There is no suggestion without de-suggestion, without freeing the para-conscious from the inertia of something old”.  Lazonav found that the facilitators influenced the three factors that are critical to conscious and unconscious learning:  If the learner is confident, if the learner believes in the trainer and if the learner believes it will be fun and valuable. 

How you dress plays a role in how you are perceived by learners.  Find out the dress code beforehand and dress just a bit more professional.  You don’t want to be too casual and not earn the respect of your learners, but you also don’t want to be too over dressed and earn distrust.  Avoid wearing black or navy, because of the seriousness of those colors they speak “control”.  Avoid distracting jewelry, scarves, ties, or patterns.  Let your personality come out through your choice of what to wear.  Stand out but don’t be distracting.

Tip #6 - How to Handle Difficult Learners

Difficult learners cover quite a range of types, from the learner who gets momentarily distracted to the one who refuses to learn.  Your reaction to difficult learners will also affect how you are perceived and the effect you have on the learner and the learning environment.  No group of learners is perfect and not all of them want to learn.  Chances are you will come across a difficult learner and if you do need to restore order consider using the Suggest, Ask, Tell Method or SAT.  By using this approach a facilitator consistently applies an escalating sequence of three steps to regain alignment to the learning objectives.  Suggestion is used in the hopes that the learners will catch on themselves. Ask is slightly more direct, bringing the learners back to the learning.  Tell is used when the learner just won’t take a hint.  Here is an example of each step:

·      S for suggest: “If you like you can use those colored markers for working on that poster.”

·      A for ask: “Can I answer some questions about the exercise for you?”

·      T for tell:  “Please start working on the exercise now because there isn’t much time left.”

Tip # 7 - The Psychological Effect of Music on Learning

Music completes, perhaps even creates mood.  Music can have a monumental effect on a learning event.  When used properly, music has the power to create a strong learning environment.  At the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory at the University of California’s Irvine campus, the impact of listening to Mozart while taking a standardized test was studied.  Findings found that those who listened to Mozart during testing scored higher than those who took the test in silence.  This often cited study was the trigger for the phrase “The Mozart Effect”; creating the belief that only Mozart’s music could create an increase in learning.  This belief is false; however, we have learned that music activates the limbic system.  As you read earlier, the limbic brain is crucial to long term memory.  Researchers theorize that music has a psychological effect.  Your pulse tends to become synchronized to the beats of the music.  This explains why slower music has the effect of slowing down the pace of a workshop.  Music is very tricky to use, but there are benefits of utilizing music for the Learner such as: 

1.     Relaxes the learner and reduces stress

2.     Increases learning energy

3.     Improves concentration and attention span

4.     Improves the amount of new information that can be acquired

5.     Improves the time it takes to acquire new information

6.     Strengthens a learner’s memory retention

7.     Fosters creativity by stimulating both the right and left brains

8.     Fosters deeper thinking by stimulating both the right and left brains

9.     Focuses and aligns a group to a common purpose

10.  Gives individuals a feeling of time expansion--- time stands still

11.  Improves feelings of positive self-esteem

12.  Reduces fatigue, attention problems and discipline problems

13.  Settles the kinesthetic, attention deficient or hyperactive learner

14.  Masks distracting background noise

Tip # 8 - Labels & How They Affect Learning

I would like to discuss the concept of labels and how they affect your attitude toward learning.  In “The Accelerated Learning Field book”, Lou Russell talks about these labels and shares a story of when he decided to change how he brands himself.  He always referred to himself as a “trainer” and chose to re-brand as a “Learning Facilitator”.  Changing this one label provides a benefit to his customers or learners.  His company may provide the service of training, but learning is the benefit gained by his customers.  Russell also talks about the multiple roles played such as: trainer, learner and facilitator.  Many people think that as a trainer you are an expert, but there are occasions where you are learning; either when you are learning the objectives from your students or when you learn something new about what you are teaching, called content learning, or even when you are learning how your students learn. The key thing to remember is you are the deliverer.

Resources for Further Exploration

Russell, L. The Accelerated Learning Field Book.  San Francisco: Pfeiffer, 1999. (D, L)

Anderson, O., Marsh, M., and Harvey, A. Learn with the Classics.  San Francisco: LIND Institute, 1999. (D, L)

Jensen, E. Brain Based Learning and Teaching. Del Mar, Calif.: Turning Point, 1995. (D, L)

Lazanov, G. Suggestology and Outlines of Suggestopedia. Newark, N.J.: Gordon and Breach Science Publishers, 1978. (D, L)