Accelerated Learning – Part 1
Accelerated Learning
By: Donna, Senior OWLS Facilitator
As a training consultant, I have listened to many clients describe the various types of challenges they face relating to training and professional development for employees. These challenges can be loosely grouped under 3 categories; the Learners, the Trainers, and the Course Content.
The Learners:
Learners seldom arrive at a training session with a receptive disposition, eager to learn, and 100% focused on the task at hand. It’s not uncommon that course participants exhibit some of the following:
- Lack of motivation
- Lack of interest
- Active and/or passive resistance
- Behavioral “issues”
- Lack of comprehension and retention of course material
- An inability to apply the learning to the workplace
The Trainers:
The majority of trainers working in companies today do not have formal training in instruction, facilitation, and course design. They are subject matter experts promoted to a position as a “training specialist.” They may have the best intentions and may know their subject matter very well, but often lack the needed tools and skills. Poorly designed PowerPoint slides, long lectures, limited participant involvement, and information cramming are common factors in training execution. More often than not, learners are left confused, overwhelmed, and disenchanted. This type of training can be severely ineffective and a waste of training dollars. I hear many trainers say that it’s easy to fall into the trap of doing what they’ve always done even though they keep getting the same dismal results in the classroom. Their defense is that they simply don’t know of any other way to get the job done. This is understandable. In addition, lack of constructive feedback from peers and superiors leads to an absence of self-awareness on the part of the trainer. And should feedback be given, then there’s the challenge of how to implement the changes required.
The Course Content:
I also hear complaints that there’s not enough time to teach everything in a course which results in “data-dumping.” Add to this, course material which can often be complex, highly technical or just plain “dry” and it becomes clear why learners focus more on the next coffee break than the course content. As if the above challenges weren’t enough, training managers often have the added pressure of showing a return on investment for the resources pumped into training initiatives. Does any of this sound familiar? Now, imagine for a moment, a completely different scenario… The dawn of a new horizon:
Imagine learners/employees who are highly motivated, enthusiastic and contributing positively to course objectives. Imagine learners/employees who can efficiently apply skills and knowledge back in the workplace and produce a better product or service. Imagine trainers who can motivate and inspire learners/employees and draw out the best in them through a variety of advanced facilitation techniques and presentation tools.
Imagine a course curriculum that’s described as fun, interactive and hands-on. But more importantly, imagine a learning environment where attendees can relax, be open and receptive, collaborate with others, and yet learn at a rapid rate by tapping into their unlimited brain potential.
Does all of this sound unrealistic? Too good to be true? The Twilight zone?
What if I told you that there is a way to achieve all the above, and to do so without new, expensive technology and unreasonable sacrifice? Welcome to the world of Accelerated Learning (AL)—a multi-faceted approach to learning and an instructional technology whose time has come, according to the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD).I stand behind this methodology with firm conviction and have proven to many clients that an ‘ideal scenario’ is indeed within reach for every organization that systematically integrates the core principles of Accelerated Learning (AL) into their program portfolio. Verifiable success has been demonstrated in applying
So what is AL?
Accelerated Learning—A brief introduction
Accelerated learning originated with Professor Georgi Lozanov, a psychiatrist and psychotherapist from
Neuroscience (brain research)
Whole Brain learning/teaching
MindMapping® Tool
Learning styles (visual, auditory, kinesthetic)
Multiple intelligences (a learning theory developed by Harvard psychologist, Dr. Howard Gardner)
Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP)
The role of the subconscious and conscious minds in learning
The role of music in learning
The role of emotions in learning
Movement in learning
Educational kinesiology (Brain Gym®)
Each category has it’s own branches and subsets of study. In essence, this research tells us that learning is not a passive process of consuming information, but an active process of creating knowledge.
AL is now more and more coming into the ‘mainstream’ arena, utilized and promoted by organizations such as the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) and the American Management Association. So how does