Performance

Brains learn and remember better if there’s fun involved. This fact was reinforced for me recently while watching a Nova Science Now episode where mice were tasked to find an island within a pool of water. After finding it, some mice were taken to a getaway – a fun game and exercise filled mouse vacation, others were not. After two weeks away, guess which mice easily found their island again? Okay we’re talking about mice and not people, but the same principles apply – relaxation, fun, creativity, and exercise all enhance the brain’s ability to create memories and form positive associations. Fun and games are fun, but they also serve a purpose – even in the classroom, and even for those uptight participants who think it’s a waste of time. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/0301/02.html

I recently spent a week observing a client’s existing formal training program. When I arrived I was horrified to discover the state of the room. While the adjacent corporate offices were clean, well-appointed and uncluttered, the room dedicated to learning was just the opposite. Here is what I observed:

• White walls complimented by coffee stains near the full garbage cans
• Industry relevant artwork that had been screwed into the wall, mostly askew
• Stacks of cardboard boxes, some full, some empty in stacks throughout the room
• A tangle of cords at the front of the room
• Dirty and bent mini blinds on the windows

And the list goes on, it wasn’t very pleasant. While it may seem obvious that this space is not particularly conducive to learning, most learning spaces could use an upgrade.

In his book, Brain-Based Learning, author Eric Jensen tells us that “The brain simultaneously operates on many levels of consciousness, processing all at once a world of colors, movements, emotions, shapes, smells, sounds, tastes, feelings, and more.” and “Between 80 and 90 percent of all information that is absorbed by our brain is visual.” Knowing this it just makes sense to create an environment that is appealing and stimulating to all the senses, but most particularly visually.