The brain - making the most of it and learning easily! Part III

Approximate reading time: 1m 26s

- Its average height is 93 mm.

- Its average weight is almost 450 grams.

- It is covered with a thin layer of nerve cells called the cortex or neocortex.

- It continues to grow and develop in different ways throughout a person's life.

- There is also a functional division into two main parts: the left and right hemispheres; the left focuses on analytical functions and the right focuses on abstract and creative functions.

The learning horizons are endless. 

How to hold the attention of a group of learners and get them to actively participate in the learning process? Here the experts will say that it depends on the participants, their personal preferences, gender, religion, principles etc. But we will summarize and answer the question at the level of brain activity. It almost doesn't matter what will be studied - it is the approach that is important.

To get students to literally rush into extensive research, you can take them to a nearby mall and have them reach the depths of discovery on their own. Depending on the planned topic of the program, you may assign them tasks such as observation, information gathering, creating a journal, or interviewing people.

Each such task should be followed by a discussion among the group, reports or presentations of the information gathered, and the important lesson learned. Such activities involve working on the same information but with different objectives. First it is collected, then entered, calculated and analysed. The data is necessarily stored in an accessible online version, such as in content management systems. This is also how different parts of the brain are occupied in stages with heterogeneous functions.

Whenever possible, depending on the type of training, it is of course useful to let the participants experience the object of study as realistically as possible, so that the result is also more relevant. Simulations of different case studies, on the other hand, put one in a unique position to experience something with a high degree of reality, and most importantly - to allow oneself to fail in order to gain even more benefits. This is how the trial-and-error principle works. We all know that once you get it wrong, it is remembered far more than getting it right!

Source: The Creative Training Idea Book, Inspired Tips and Techniques for Engaging and Effective Learning, ROBERT W. LUCAS