Training tips that triumph
Memory science, microlearning and what actually makes workplace training stick.
Little and often – the thought behind Spaced Repetition
Many people think that the teaching technique known as spaced repetition, which has gained more and more traction over recent years with language learning apps was developed quite recently. However, spaced repetition can trace its roots all the way back to 1885, when German psychologist, and prominent thinker around memory and recall, Hermann Ebbinghaus, published an experimental study about memory called Memory: A Contribution to Experimental Psychology. The central element of this work was the forgetting curve, which refers to the decline of us being able to remember pieces of information over time, when there is no attempt to retain them. The two things we are most interested in when it comes to learning, are retention and recall. But we should think differently of how to improve our powers in that regard. How to absorb, retain and recall better. Simply put, how to learn better. In order to drill new information or knowledge into our brain, we don’t need to cram for hours on end the night before a test or listen intently to a daylong training course. As a matter of fact, these approaches to learning will probably have the opposite effect. Along with the tedious and repetitive nature
What colour is your personality? : Targeted training for The Palette Of Personalities
The training needs of organisations are many and various. With so many variables, the hunt is always on for a responsive, reactive method which enthuses and engages learners fully in the process. A method which makes the delivery of knowledge easier, faster, and more cost effective. A method of improving productivity which is inclusive, immersive and appeals to all demographics across the workforce. To that end, it is essential to understand the audience. Leaders may well know what they wish to teach, and when. However, in order to gain the fullest possible benefits from Learning and Development programmes, it is key to know who we’re trying to reach, and to recognise the differences in those people. We all live, learn, and work differently, and we all think differently. We have different demands from life, from our work and personal lives. Variables, again. Maybe the answer would be to look at some of those differences, and select a method of knowledge delivery which works for everyone. Or, at the very least, a method that can be easily adapted to work well for everyone. To begin that process, we need a way of understanding and mapping those differences in personality. How we
What makes mobile learning so effective?
Mobile learning took off with the growth of mobile connectivity and the proliferation of mobile devices. Anyone with a mobile device – like a laptop or smartphone – can use it for training or learning wherever they are, be it on their commute, at home or halfway around the world.
Distinguishing e-learning from microlearning
When companies are looking for solutions to help train their staff, there can be a lot of jargon and specialist language that confuses matters. Two such words that are widely used at the moment are “e-learning” and “microlearning.” Although the words are used interchangeably at times, they actually refer to different things. There is, however, some overlap between the two and part of a company’s e-learning approach can comprise of microlearning. E-Learning E-learning, also known as electronic, online, or digital learning, involves using a computer or similar technology for learning purposes. While not exclusively reliant on online platforms, contemporary e-learning is predominantly delivered through the internet and has evolved in tandem with online advancements. E-learning encompasses diverse formats and approaches, ranging from university online learning environments to language-learning smartphone apps. Key features include access to educational resources, online assessments, and platforms for collaborative learning. For businesses, e-learning offers a cost-effective and time-saving alternative to traditional classroom training. It enables companies to monitor employees’ learning trajectories through data collection and facilitates learning flexibility, allowing employees to engage in learning activities from various locations, whether traveling for work or stationed in different offices worldwide. Microlearning Microlearning breaks down topics into bite-sized pieces,
Themes in learning in 2016 – where we are and what’s around the corner
As we have completed another year of learning in the workplace, we are faced with an opportunity to look at developments, and to note several themes from 2016 which have led to much discussion amongst Learning and Development practitioners. In an ever changing world, and an increasingly fluid and dispersed workplace, it is wise to take notice of these developments in order to better understand modern learning techniques and trends. We need to know where learning will take us, what the future holds, and how businesses can benefit. Above all, one thing is certain. The expectations of business don’t change. In the corporate world where cost is king, and time is such a precious commodity, business leaders are looking to Learning and Development providers with a keen focus on ‘time to productivity’. They need and will expect more ‘bang to their buck’. Technology and new ways of thinking about learning provide us with fresh opportunity to meet these increasing demands. As always, the focus continues to be on how we learn, where we learn, and why. Its about how to engage, enthuse and encourage the learner. The future of learning lies at the place where human psychology and neuroscience meet the
Can we afford to train?
2016, a year not without its challenges, it must be said. A year which demonstrated so clearly how quickly and fluidly our world now moves, and how clearly the challenges it brings us are laid out before us. The need to continually question our understanding of our place in this rapidly changing atmosphere has never been so clear. As we come to the end of another year in business and look to the future, thoughts should be turning to what we expect of that future, with regard to our businesses. The year’s end brings endless opportunity, a clean and natural time to make changes and to plan developments. A breathing space to help us assess the year gone by and focus on fresh challenges for the coming 12 months. At this time of year, all our thoughts, all our discussions around business naturally focus on productivity, how to build and enhance it, how to bring positive changes and move forward from the ground we’ve gained in the previous year, and how to find new ways to grow. To grow as individuals, professionally, personally, and of course, to grow as an organisation. It is now that organisations begin to consider budgets
Gamification in education – what’s in it for students?
We all know about gamification, it has been around for some time now. The world of Learning and Development knows gamification well. They’re like old friends in a mutually beneficial relationship. As familiar to each other as a comfortable pair of slippers. Gaming technology is built into our every day, as we see, for instance, in the many Health and Wellbeing apps we use. We know that gamification can enthuse and inspire better performance in employees, can make training personalised and therefore more reactive. We know it is adaptive and motivational. As a force for change, it has many positive attributes from which we can all benefit. There could also be benefit in bringing gamification into the academic setting. Teachers, at first, may see gamification as frivolous, or even childish, a waste of time. And it is true that in the formal setting of academia, it is a relatively new development. But schools and colleges are constantly seeking new ways of boosting student engagement and motivation. The delivery of knowledge and ideas needs all the help it can get, and heads, teachers and governing bodies should feel happy to embrace new thought, new directions and developments, particularly if it helps
Overriding the overload of our work time
Before you read this, ask yourself….have you got the time? Are you reading it because you want to or because you have to? Or are you reading it because you’re trying to put off doing something you should be doing and this is just a welcome distraction. Is there something else you should be doing? Have you got the time? In business, time is an important commodity, a valuable resource. A useful tool, it is both indispensable and irreplaceable. We aim to save it, because when its gone, we simply can’t get it back. Most importantly, we know that business is about productivity, and productivity is most often, and most worryingly impacted by time, and how we use it. Surely, we’re better equipped with technology to help in this. There’s an app for this, right? So why is it that so many people feel so pushed for time? So stressed about not having enough time, or about wanting more? How has it become so easy for us to mismanage our time? And have we even got the time to find out? Modern life increasingly piles us high with extra demands on our time. The frenetic pace of life, in and
Leadership – Whose job? What job? When?
‘Leadership and learning are indispensable to each other’ So said John F. Kennedy, but how do the two things become so inseparable, so reliant on each other, so strongly intertwined? Firstly, we may need to define leadership, and that isn’t as easy as it used to be. Leadership. A word, and an image weighed down with assumption, stereotype, and pre-formed and outdated ideas. Everybody has their own individual definition of the word. We all have our favourite ‘leader’, just as we all have our least favourite. Many are more concerned with the role of the manager of their football team than the role of their leaders in the workplace. Some consider themselves to be a leader when, to others around them, the opposite is the case. Others lead without being consciously aware of the fact that they’re doing so. And while some look to leaders for inspiration, others may seek to keep distance between their leaders and themselves. Traditionally, historically, a leader has been someone who has gained knowledge of a certain subject and is able to pass that knowledge down to others who are keen to learn. These others, the followers in this example are known as ‘Knowledge Workers’.
Lifelong learning: the need to keep on keeping on
We live to learn, just as we learn to live. Learning is a process without end, a journey without conclusion. We learn through the way we live our lives, the way we work, the people we surround ourselves and interact with, how we communicate, and the things we do to relax. Often, we’re learning subconsciously, as a product of our environmental every day experience. Equally, we take part in formal learning, with a process and an expected outcome. What we see informs what we think, and leads us to different places. What we learn, and how we learn it informs how we develop, how we grow. We are learning for life, just as we are learning in life. By committing ourselves to lifelong learning, we are able to bring positive changes to our lives, in work and socially, as well as in our personal relationships. As our lives develop and grow, our knowledge also grows, our confidence and self esteem builds. All of this leads to a place of better opportunities and new directions. Real and effective lifelong learning, however, doesn’t just happen as a matter of chance or good luck. We’ve established that we’re talking about an ongoing process
The Seinfeld effect – maintaining the chain to the brain
Yep. You read that right. Seinfeld. Jerry Seinfeld, the American comedian. A man with obvious and valuable advice for those in Learning and Development, you’re thinking. Except of course, you’re probably not. You’re almost certainly thinking ‘What’s Jerry Seinfeld got to do with this?’ And you’d be right thinking that. Probably. When considering ideas such as training, learning, behaviour change and knowledge growth, the name Jerry Seinfeld wouldn’t ordinarily spring to mind, its fair to say. But Jerry can offer us help, he has advice for us, methods, practices we can take from. Lessons we can learn, even. Software developer Brad Isaac was a young amateur comedian who once asked Jerry for tips, advice on how to improve as a comedian. It turns out, it’s all about the chain. The driving force behind every performer is to get better, to be seen as the best, perfect their art, and for them to reach the top of their chosen field. For Seinfeld, that meant writing better jokes, and writing all the time, every day. It required constant commitment, discipline, motivation and drive. It meant an end to procrastination, and the ability to maintain the drive and keep improving. So Jerry came
Wranx announced as a finalist for The Learning Awards!
News alert!! We have been announced as a finalist for The Learning Awards! This week we were delighted to hear that Wranx has been shortlisted for the ‘Start-up Learning Provider of the Year’ award, where we will be competing against five other providers. The awards, which are hosted by the Learning and Performance Institute, look to recognise outstanding examples of high standards, best practice, innovation and excellence in Learning and Development. LPI Managing Director, Edmund Monk, said: “The heritage and reputation of The Learning Awards is unrivalled. For those who are shortlisted and those who eventually win, the experience often leads to career-changing opportunities as companies and individuals are sought out for their experience and innovation.” The Learning Awards ceremony takes place at the Dorchester hotel in London’s Park Lane in February 2017, where the winners will all be revealed… Fingers crossed!!! 😀
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