Learning with the Brain in Mind (Part 2)

In Part 1, we shared some facts about the Brain to remember, when we are harnessing the Brain/Mind connection during learning. This blog will look at the Mind; the other & no-less important half of the equation.

In our work with schools and training departments of corporate organisations, we often encounter teachers and training managers who recognise that the same lesson or training module can be received differently by different classes and groups. This can be frustrating for teachers and trainers, as learning objectives do not get achieved and if they can't identify the reason behind it. For the corporate organisation, it often means that operations and bottom-line considerations get affected when staff don't return from training with better skills. Conversely, the feeling of frustration is also true for students and participants who feel that the lesson is less-than-satisfying.

While each person's brain is physiologically identical, deep differences exist at the psychological level. In learning situations, these differences show themselves in individual preferences towards:

• the kind of information desired - eg facts or anecdotes or information gained from hands-on work
  
• the way the information is delivered - eg lecture or group work or humourous instructors
• the environment - eg the volume of ambient noise, the brightness of the room, the time of the lesson

According to brain dominance theory pioneered by Ned Herrmann and elaborated by Geil Browning, the above differences are shown primarily in 4 distinct learning preferences:

• Analytical Learning - The Analytical Learner prefers mental analysis and logical deduction based on factual information
  
• Structural Learning - The Structural Learner prefers sequenced and ordered thinking.
  
• Social Learning - The Social Learner prefers group work and views information related to people as especially valuable
  
• Conceptual Learning - The Conceptual Learner prefers information presented in concepts, whose relationship to each other is shown

Most of us show at least a preference for 2 to 3 of these preferences, with a minority using 1 or all 4 preferences. The key is in mining this information for the various persons involved. The student or participant can access the lesson information according to his own most preferred thinking mode, while being aware of situations when he will need to exercise his least preferred thinking mode, eg when a new teacher or instructor is assigned to the class. For the teacher or training department manager, applying brain dominance theory in lesson planning or curriculum design provides the following advantages:

• Brain Dominance theory offers a vocabulary to explain differences in learning
• Using the Whole Brain framework, they can design lessons or training modules which align with the participants' learning preferences
• Because instruction can become more learner-centred, lessons or training sessions are more meaningful
  
• Teachers and training managers can be a catalyst for participants' growth, as they can systematically devote resources to 'strengthen' their least desired learning preferences

From our stable of the world's top 3 thinking preference tools, we are often called in by clients to help with exploiting the Brain/Mind Connection in their schools or training rooms:

• identifying student or participant learning preferences from the Whole Brain perspective
  
• customising current training materials with Whole Brain input
• equipping teachers and trainers to 'Whole Brain' their instructional delivery
• devising Whole Brain pedagogies for maximum return from the investment into learning preferences assessment
  

The Brain/Mind Connection is not just fascinating for its own sake. Instead, when harnessed for learning, it is of great value to all parties concerned: the student, the teacher/trainer as well as the training manager who has to translate training dollars into greater profitability, when participants return to line operations from the training room.

Noel Tan
Resident Philosopher

(All text is copyright of Trailblazer Trainers Pte Ltd.)