Making it Stick / How Adults Learn
The case for taking notes and how adults learn? Intro
Which Mode Is Better for Learning?
- Reading effectiveness can be assessed in multiple ways.
- Printed texts are preferred for recall and comprehension.
- Digital screens do not significantly reduce or improve reading time or critical thinking.
- Modality is inconsequential when interest is high, such as when reading for pleasure.
You want to remember something? Write it down.
- If you want to learn, one of the most valuable assets you have is your critical awareness.
- Writing down what you know, and even what you don’t, helps you to master a subject.
- Writing helps us monitor what we know, as well as causing us to engage in retrieval practice: a more active form of learning.
The Science of Successful Learning
- Spaced (interval) learning helps you retain long term
- Struggling is good, failing and fixing is good, different learning style is good
- Mistakes are an important part of learning, signal of effort not failure
- Quizzes as learning tools not assessments (review quizzes per module, not just quiz at end)
- Reflection is key – what did I learn, what would I do differently, how could I use this in my real world?
- Start with the WHY (why = engagement earlier, vs WHAT and HOW)
- Questions (not agenda items) will engage learners earlier – “here are the 4 questions we’ll answer in this module…”
- Test recall as you go – ”in your own words, how does X work? Why do it like this and not that?” – and test all the way back (cumulative) – people need to hear things multiple times
- Build something – put it into practice now
- Have a resource for ongoing reinforcement – not ”one and done” training event
RT Application to Training
| Best Practice | RT Way |
|---|---|
| Column 1 Value | Column 2 Value |
| Column 1 Value 2 | Column 2 Value 2 |
| Column 1 Value 3 | Column 2 Value 3 |
| Column 1 Value 4 | Column 2 Value 4 |