Learning new things is often seen as the vital ingredient to improving your management style. Here, we discuss how you can pick new things up quicker and easier, through a process called Accelerated Learning.
Accelerated Learning is a unique way of presenting information to gain powerful learning experiences. It is not a theory, methodology or a philosophy, neither is it the result of one person’s research. It’s a combination of many studies from leading psychological researchers who estimate it can achieve at least a 300% improvement in both the speed and effectiveness of learning.
The following is a summary of the key concepts behind Accelerated Learning adapted from Colin Rose’s book, Accelerated Learning, How memory’s secrets unlocked the way to relaxed, easy learning:
Your brain has enormous potential – the more you use it the more associations and connections you make and the easier it is to remember and learn yet more new material.
The left and right halves of the brain process information in different ways – the right brain responds to art, music and patterns – it processes information holistically, grasps the whole picture quickly and is more sensitive to subconscious influences. The left brain tends to work on a step by step basis. Fully involve the right brain and you don’t just double your brain power, you increase it many times over.
Relaxation is important to create a stress free learning environment. Relaxation is associated with a predominately Alpha brain wave pattern.
All new information enters the short term memory store, but only gets transferred to the long term memory store if it is rehearsed immediately.
Registering new facts depends on strong encoding, strong encoding depends to a large extent on creating strong associations. Strong encoding is achieved by creating concrete images of sight, feelings, sound, taste and smell. The stronger the original encoding the better the ultimate recall.
Words linked to a picture are easier to learn/remember because you have achieved dual encoding.
The key to memory is to improve visualisation – interactive visual images are the most powerful.
Individual lessons should have breaks – people tend to remember more from the beginning and end of a training session (the Primary and Recency effects) so by increasing the number of breaks you will increase the amount of information remembered. This links to the Zeigarnik effect – Zeigarnik, a German researcher, found that interrupting a task lead to higher subsequent recall.
Learning the principle is easier than learning each individual example.
Meaning is vital to memory.
Learning by example is better than learning by rote.
Memory works by creating a network of associated ideas.
Suggestion can improve actual performance greatly by unblocking the negative suggestion that something cannot be done – creating a belief in success and a positiveself-image will, when allied to a sound and realistic learning programme, create great success.
We probably all have the potential for photographic memory. The key to it is imagination.
Learning is maximised when all the elements are focused on the learning process. Since possibly 90% of communication is at the subconscious level, the greater the number of subconscious stimuli that are orchestrated to aid learning, the faster and more effective is that learning.
Imaging and articulation of new material is a powerful memory creating device.
Presenting each lesson in the three sensory channels – Visual, Auditory and Kinaesthetic – ensures that the presentation is in a style which the student learns best, and that all three senses are co-ordinated to make learning highly effective.
Early success provides the motivation for extra attention and involvement. This fuels a virtuous circle.
Get yourself more knowledge of Accelerated Learning, and identify how you can learn new things quicker and easier.
