At Idea Learning Group, we strive to create conditions for learning to take place over time, allowing learners to internalize content and develop new ways to integrate what they’ve learned into their work.
For example:
- Realistic situations that build context and encourage learners to relate to the material
- Multiple ways to obtain content, e.g., eLearning courses, job aids, games, instructor-led workshops
- Self-directed opportunities for learners to explore and experiment with content
- Roadmaps to outline multiple phases of learning strategies
Why?
By confining content and instruction to a fixed time and space, as is done in traditional training, limits are imposed on the entire learning process. However, the neuroscience of learning shows that learners need repeated exposure to concepts to process, absorb, and understand information.
Until recently, the common assumption was that our brains stopped developing when we became adults. We believed that neural cell generation, or neurogenesis, was not possible after childhood. We now know that neurogenesis can take place, although to a lesser extent, throughout adulthood.
The study of neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change as a result of new situations and experiences, is revealing fascinating findings that can be applied to the workplace learning environment. Not surprisingly, these findings suggest that our brains are wired to learn through experience to adapt to our environments.