“The “information transfer model” of the traditional lecture does not match what current cognitive science research tells us of how humans learn. Research shows that the brain does not record information like a digital video camera. Turn your digital video camera on, click record and hit play. Boom, you’ve just recorded everything for replay whenever you want. It’s a much more complicated process to get that knowledge passed from the speaker’s mouth, through the listener’s ears to the brain and move it from short term to long term memory. Our image of the brain as a recorder is incorrect. How the information is originally obtained through the five senses and whether there is some type of participation such as discussion or simulation have a tremendous impact on the learning and retention. So how does formal and informal learning play into the conference mix? Why is it important to provide both?”
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Midcourse Corrections » Blog Archive » We Are The Problem: We Are Selling Conference Snake Oil
By Jeff Hurt ~ His comments are directed toward conferences, but the same questions can be raised with how all meetings are held when learning retention is a goal.
