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Jerry Zandstra (JZ) – Senior Director of Learning
Miriam Taylor (MT) – Customer Success Manager
Miriam Taylor (MT): Our topic for this conversation is the broader topic of learning science with a focus on what is often called cognitive science. What do we mean when we talk about learning science?
Jerry Zandstra (JZ): Learning science or what is sometimes called ‘the sciences of learning’ is actually a series of other fields of study that inform how people learn. While not exhaustive, for our purposes, these sciences include cognition, psychology, sociology, linguistics, consumer science, and behavioral science. Other sciences could be included so this list is not meant to be exhaustive.
MT: How do they work together?
JZ: Each gives a unique perspective on how human beings learn. They each shine a slightly different light on the complexity of how people process information given their psychological makeup, sociological setting, language, consumption decisions, and actions. We are complex creatures to say the least. You and I both believe that people are wired to learn. I read a book recently on the philosophy of learning and the author pointed out something that should be obvious but that I had not considered before. Learning is not something that people choose. We are always learning because it is part and parcel of the human experience. We might be learning good things or bad things; useful pieces of information or useless data; beneficial patterns or detrimental patterns. But we are always learning.
MT: Our topic for today is specifically the science of cognition. Can you provide a definition and give us some insights?
JZ: Certainly. Cognitive science is the study of how we process, store, retain, and use information. The definition is fairly simple. The reality is not. I should say that this is a fairly new science and much about how the human brain works is yet to be discovered. There are more questions than answers at this point but there are still insights to be gained. Cognition has to do with perception, memory, language, and retrieval. It helps us understand how we make judgments. It provides a perspective on what we know, how we know it, and what we decide to do with it.
MT: Your definition of cognitive science as how we process, store, retain, and use information is pretty obviously connected to those in the learning and development profession. Can you dive a little deeper into how?
JZ: Let’s talk for a moment about the wonder that is the human brain. My daughter-in-law Elizabeth is an instructional designer. She recently pointed out that the typical human brain can store the equivalent of three million hours of television shows. That is a remarkable amount of information but is still only a fraction of the total amount of information that we receive. The brain has a kind of sorting system because even with that amazing amount of storage capacity, we can only retain a small percentage of the information that comes at use. Information moves from our sensory memory to our working memory and then eventually to long-term memory. Sensory lasts about 3 seconds and is mostly forgotten. What continues down the pathway to working memory is only 5-9 pieces of information and does not last long. What makes it through into long-term memory is even less.
MT: So, a complex sorting and storage system?
JZ: Exactly. And what eventually gets stored in long-term memory most often is saved because it connects to other ideas, concepts and pieces of information we already know. And even then, there is another kind of sorting going on. We retain only about 60% of what makes it to the longer-term member after a week. The rest is filtered out. If there is no reinforcement of what is learned, only about 10% of what was learned is retained.
MT: Those are daunting statistics for people who are committed to helping adult learners be better at their jobs. It sounds like much of what we spend our time building in learning experiences could be filtered out or even forgotten in a very short period of time.
JZ: Absolutely. The challenge for people in training and development in the corporate world is to understand the challenges and then do everything they can to mitigate them. Let’s begin with what I think is one of the more important factors: cognitive overload. The idea is pretty simple. There is a limit to how much information a person can process. Exceeding that limit makes it difficult for a learner to process, retain, or act on the information that is coming at them. I think we’ve all experienced this. Think of trying to read a book while someone in the room is watching a movie, someone else is playing music, and two other people are having a conversation. Chances are, unless you have remarkable powers of concentration, you will not retain much of what you are reading.
MT: If we take this idea into the workplace, it is obvious that dedicated learning could be challenging. People have schedules to keep, tasks to carry out, meetings to attend, and work to get done. Maybe their laptop flashes a notification every time someone emails them and their phone buzzes with texts or calls.
JZ: And that is the setting in which we often expect people to learn. It isn’t just that cognitive overload means someone isn’t learning much. It can also cause frustration and irritation for learners. Instead of increasing productivity through learning, it can actually be the cause of decreased productivity.
MT: Let’s get practical. What are some practical guides for creating learning experiences that are well-informed by the science of cognition?
JZ: There are many but let’s highlight a handful. The first is understanding the environment in which learning takes place. What else is going on that might be causing cognitive overload? We have talked primarily about being in the work setting, but cognitive overload can also happen for people who work from home. Mail delivery, family members, pets, repair people, the neighbor’s lawn mower, and dozens of other things can overload our cognitive abilities. It is helpful to suggest that people find a place where they can concentrate and limit distractions. That might be a room or even a chair where they tend to do their learning.
MT: What else?
JZ: It is important to pay attention to the length, pace, and spacing of learning. We both remember when it seemed perfectly logical to expect someone to take a 60-minute eLearning course that really just looked like a fancy PowerPoint deck. I think we all recognize that was a mistake. Pacing also matters. Depending on the topic, it may be necessary to give learners some time to reflect on the information they are receiving before moving on. In other words, give them the opportunity to connect what they are learning with what they already know. Give them a moment to move information in their long-term memory. Spacing is another key element, especially for reinforcing what is being learned. There are some excellent studies based on work done by Herman Ebbinghaus that are solid guides for when to reinforce what has been learned so that it remains in long-term memory and can be utilized.
MT: Length, pacing, and spacing are certainly key concepts. What about making use of other senses and experiential learning?
JZ: Certainly, the opportunity to immediately apply what has been learned is key. Learning a skill and being able to practice it will greatly increase retention. Wonderful tools like augmented and virtual reality are now available to most learning teams. It is a good idea to help learners visualize what they’ve learned, which is why we often build job aids or infographics that provide an overview of what has been learned. Just a couple more that both of us have seen in practice. Just-in-time learning will have higher retention rates because the learner actually has a need in the moment. What they are learning is not being stored away for some future application. The information is needed in the moment and, even more importantly, used in the moment. That information will stick.
MT: One last question, one that seems to come up in every conversation about learning. How might artificial intelligence change how cognition works in the corporate world?
JZ: I don’t think it will change how we process information. Those abilities have been built over a very long time period. What AI will do is personalize learning in ways that we are just beginning to think about. For instance, AI can track what an individual person already knows at a very deep level, making it much easier to connect new information to existing knowledge. Truly personalized learning. AI can also very quickly deliver information that is needed by the learner as they need it. The same information can be delivered in a variety of formats depending on the desires and preferences of the individual learner. Learners could choose all words, images, animations, videos or, I suppose, even a song. And all could be delivered by AI using the same content.
MT: As always, the future will be an amazing place. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
JZ: Thank you for the always engaging conversation. We have only been able to scratch the surface on learning science and cognition. I can’t wait to see what we learn next.
