1

How We Think The Brain Works

Neo-Cortex(Higher Order Thinking Skills)

Limbic System (Emotions & Long Term Memory)

Brainstem (Reptilian)(Fight, Flight or Freeze)

Magnetic Resonance Image (MRI)

Cerebellum(Embedded Learning/Habits)

2

Understanding Information

0%

20%

40%

60%

Words

Voice/Tone

Body Movement

Words 7%

Voice/Tone 38%

BodyMovement

55%

% Contribution

93% of understanding comes from body language and expression

Albert Mehrabian

3

Information Retention

20% of what they Read30% of what they Hear 40% of what they See50% of what they Say60% of what they Do90% of what they See, Hear, Say and Do

On average people remember:-

Rose,C. and Nicholl. MJ, Accelerated Learning for the 21st Century

4

Experimentand

Integrate

Learning Cycle

LearningExperience

Observeand

Reflect

Generaliseand

ConceptualiseAdapted from Weinstein, p40/41 (1999) and Knasel, Meed & Rossetti, p105 (2000)

ALAPA

5

Passive Reception Active Learning

Directives,Presentations,

lectures

Rules ofthumb

Stories witha moral

Socraticquestioning

Guidedpractice

Guidedobservation

Guidedproblemsolving

Guidedexperimentation

Group-based One-to-One

Active Learning

Lessons?

a. Recognise and exploit ‘deep smarts’b. Transfer knowledge through active learning.

Leonard, D. and Swap W. (2004) Deep Smarts Harvard Business Review , September Issue: 88-97. Edited version

6

Learning StylesHoney and Mumford (1983)

Activist

Enjoys new and challenging experiences

“I’ll try anything once”

Reflector

Learns best when able to sit back

and observe“Look before you

leap”

Theorist

Likes to be able to question logic or

methodology“If it’s logical, it’s

good”

PragmatistNeeds to see link between learning

and practical application

“If it works, it’s good”

TestingDoing

ReflectingWatching

ConcreteFeeling

AbstractThinking

7

Awareness and AbilityStangaards (1981) NLP Model of Learning

ConsciousCompetence

Aware and AbleAware and Unable

ConsciousIncompetenc

e

Unaware and Unable

UnconsciousIncompetenc

e

Unaware and Able

UnconsciousCompetence

Lessons? a. Raise awareness and develop ability, or nothing will change

b. Importance of feedback, disclosure and experimentation.

8

Learning AdviceLearning needs to be grounded in experienceWe learn best by using a range of learning styles in a cycle of learning • We need to be aware of our

preferred style and that of others

We need to review and practice to remember.