Yawn!
Are you bored or tired? Do you feel like yawning?
Why do you do this - and what's it got to do with learning? Let's find out!
Buyology
Over the Christmas break I've read a few books.
One that stood out was Buy-ology by Martin Lindstrom
(a book about the science behind why we buy products). Apart from the book's application for anyone involved in retailing or other selling professions the book has relevance for learning in general. Consider the facilitator/teacher, their role is really 'selling' ideas successfully to learners who can decide to either 'buy' the idea or not!
Buy-ology is based around a study that uses fMRI (functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging) to identify which parts of the brain respond to different buying/advertising stimuli. I won't explain fMRI in any further detail here except to say that it is an extremely accurate method to determine which areas of the brain are active at any point in time.
Mirror Neurons
One finding relates to 'Mirror Neurons' (neurons are brain cells). Let's use the example from a study in the book Buy-ology to illustrate how mirror neurons were discovered. Monkeys were used in one test - it was found that certain neurons in the monkey's brain would respond in the same way if either they picked up a tasty nut, or if they saw another monkey pick up a tasty nut. In fact they even responded when they saw a scientist licking an ice-cream!
The effect works in humans too!
- Do you cry when you see something sad in a film?
- Are you more likely to smile when someone else does?
- Picture your favourite food in your mind - are you salivating?
- Remember the Yawn at the start of this article. You weren't bored or tired - hopefully!
- When you use the expression "I understand where you are coming from" it is another way of saying, "my brain remembers something like this happening to me".
In all these examples mirror neurons are at work.
How can mirror neurons help learning?
By tapping into learners' previous concrete experiences, mirror neurons allow you to link new ideas and skills with existing knowledge. Learning activities that can take advantage of this include:
- Role Plays - excellent method of triggering mirror responses.
- Case Studies - provide clear concrete examples
- Group presentations
- Powerpoint/Keynote slides filled with relevant images - an image can trigger a mirror response
- Post-training activities to link practice with ideas from session.
These activities, through the action of mirror neurons, help learners to embed new ideas and skills in their long-term memory. We all benefit from repetition when learning - a knowledge of how mirror neurons work should provide teachers/facilitators with another tool when building effective lessons and learning programs.
