Law of Emotional Learning

It is no surprise that we are big fans of Thiagi.  And if you aren't familiar with him, well then you are in for a treat.  You can check him out at http://thiagi.com .   This month's Thiagi letter is full of great information.  The part that really jumped out at me was a section called "Laws of the Adult Learner".  We talk about the value of emotions in our ADDIE to Improv class.  And Thiagi has a section called Laws for All Creatures Great and Small that echos that sentiment.

Law of emotional learning: Events that are accompanied by intense emotions result in long-lasting learning.

Use training games, simulations, and role plays that add emotional elements to learning. Make sure that emotions don't become too intense and interfere with learning. Make sure that participants don't learn dysfunctional behaviors because of intense emotions. Debrief participants after emotional activities to reflect on their feelings and learn from their reactions.

John Cleese and Lily Tomlin both are known for not only their comedic genius' but also for educational training.  Pretty cool, huh.  The simplest idea behind it is that if you are laughing you are learning.  But if you take that a step further and think about the evolution of our brains.  We have what is called a Triune Brain.  Three, three, three brains in one.  

Long ago we were reptiles, and we still have deep within our brains, the reptilian brain or it is also called the R-Complex.  The Reptilian Brain is responsible for basic functions - fight, flight, breathing, digestion, circulation - basic but very important stuff.  As we evolved over thousands of years, we developed a Mammalian Brain or Limbic Brain.  The Mammalian Brain is the type of brain you find in mammals - and the differences between reptiles and mammals is quite apparent.  Mammals have "feelings".  It is this part of the brain that controls emotions, moods, memory and hormone control.  It is here that we are advocating that you look for ways to incorporate emotional experiences in your training.  Scenarios, exhibits, games that put you in the moment (hey, that's an improv term) and allow the student to experience and practice the skills they are learning help to stimulate the Mammalian Brain, raising the learning.  And it is important to stress that whenever you are using an emotional component to your training that you allow time to debrief.  To allow your students to talk about their experience.  The talking is part of the processing of the information.

And for those of you who need to complete the circle of our story, the last part of the brain is the part that humans and primates have, the Neocortex.  This allows us to be able to do things that other mammals cannot - such as complex social interactions and advanced planning - and in humans this part of the brain has grown quite large, thought to be due to our development of language.

So I challenge you, what types of things make you laugh, smile, muse?  And how can you try to incorporate those types of experiences into your training?  When would it be inappropriate?  And why?  Let yourself go, wonder.  I would love to hear what you come up with.

 

Check out this website

http://www.psycheducation.org/emotion/triune%20brain.htm 

 

 

By Allison Black