We work with human nature, not against it

Our experiences leverage the latest in science and historical adult learning principles to awaken the learner and drive change.

What does science tell us
about how adults learn?

Unfortunately, all too often, training programs fall peril to the following core issues, which can result in sub-optimal outcomes.

The Curse of
Knowledge

This cognitive bias occurs when a person (think trainer or subject matter expert) unknowingly assumes that others (learners) have sufficient background and context to understand new information.

Look closely. Can you see what's in this image?

A blurred image test one. Two rhinos.
A blurred image test two. A crowd at a spoting event.
A blurred image test three. A woman holding a pot.

When you think you know, click this button to toggle on the full color image.

Now that you have the context to interpret this visual, it's easier to make sense of the distorted version.

For effective learning to take place, one must be able to place new information into an existing mental framework. Without foundational knowledge, there's no way to make sense of the new information. The lesson? We need to know our audience and meet them where they are, not where we assume them to be.

Read more on the Curse of Knowledge

Cognitive
Overload

Too much information! Whether it's the complexity of the content itself, the tendency to include "extra" information that isn't pertinent to the learning objective at hand, or the distraction of superfluous bells and whistles—they all lead to the same outcome—an overloaded brain that struggles to integrate new information.

Have you seen this beast before?

Obamacare Chart confetti whistle bells bottle rocket bottle rocket banners

We know that attention is a limited resource.

To avoid cognitive overload when dealing with complex subject matter, we need to first simplify the content by deconstructing it into manageable, digestible chunks. This allows the learner to focus on and effectively integrate one concept before moving on to the next.

All Passive
Learning

There's a difference between gaining understanding and being exposed to information. Brain science tells us that in order to absorb information into knowledge, adults must be actively engaged—cognitively, emotionally, or kinesthetically.

To illustrate this point, let's try another activity

Which symbol is correct?

Wheelchair icons guess. Wheelchair icons answer.
Recycle icons guess. Recycle icons answer.
No smoking icons guess. No smoking icons answer.

Throughout your life, you've likely been exposed to this symbol hundreds of times, yet if you're like many, if asked to draw it without a reference, it would be very difficult. This is because you've merely been exposed to the information (symbol) without actively engaging with it.

Active engagement through thinking and doing allows the learner to develop richer neural networks associated with stronger, more easily retrievable memories. At Salience Learning, we leverage our deep expertise in the Business of Science to create active learning experiences that enable the learner to apply concepts to practical, real world scenarios.

What does the Theory of
Adult Learning tell us?

  1. Adults are self directed and need to know why
  2. Adults have real-world, diverse experiences
  3. Adults are ready to learn
  4. Adults want to immediately apply in real life
  5. Adults are intrinsically motivated to learn

We put the learner first

We carefully design our learning programs to connect theory with relevant, tangible application. Our solutions are tightly aligned with learners' needs and your business objectives. We don't deliver content. We solve real world problems.

Ready to elevate how your
organization learns?
Let's see if we can help.

Schedule a consultation