10 Ideas for Increasing Learning Transfer: Strategies #6-10
This simple idea just keeps growing in scope! Four further strategies that can enhance the amount of visible positive change that shows up in our work from the learning effort.
In the two previous posts in this series, we’ve looked at:
Each of these are somewhat difficult to ‘ringfence’ as discrete ideas, and the more I write, the more I struggle with this sense of containment. I have the final four for you this time, though it is likely I will need to expand on these in future individual articles.
So to the next four strategies for increasing Transfer - the degree to which the learning effort from a course, for example, shows up in day to day professional practice.
7. Simulation Exercises: Practical Scenarios for Real-world Application
If you are anything like me, the moment a facilitator mentions “role play” I’m looking for the door. Yet, simulation is a massively powerful development mechanism, one that underpins the incredible safety of air travel, for instance.
Recently, Melbourne’s Collingwood Magpies won the 2023 AFL Grand Final by 4 points, a very narrow margin in games where teams often score 80 to 100 points each. An analysis of 16 ‘close games’ in the last two years, the club has substantiated this trait with 13 out of 16 games resulting in a win, often being behind in scoring late in the game:
“But the stat that sums up Collingwood best under McRae is the fact they have been behind at three-quarter time on 16 occasions and won 12 of those games. They are, quite simply, never out of it.” (Source)
Their secret: constant close-match simulation in their training sessions.
The world of learning has long recognized the value of 'doing' as a means of embedding knowledge, yet it seems to be rarely baked into development programs. Simulation exercises provide a bridge between theoretical understanding and real-world application. They create a safe space where learners can test their skills, make mistakes, and learn from them.
How it Works: Imagine a school administrator learning about a new conflict resolution technique. Reading about it is one thing, but role-playing an angry parent-teacher meeting can bring those lessons to life. Such simulations allow learners to experience the emotional and practical challenges they'll face and prepare them to handle similar situations in their actual work setting.
Why it Matters: Role-playing and simulations mirror the complexities of real-life situations. When learners navigate these complexities, they're more likely to remember their actions and decisions and transfer this experiential knowledge to their job. Additionally, feedback during or after these exercises can guide learners toward best practices and away from potential pitfalls.
8. Embedding Regular Feedback Loops
Feedback is the cornerstone of improvement. It serves as a a major mechanism for disrupting and developing mind and skill sets. For learning to truly stick, learners need to know how they're doing, where they're going right, and where they're veering off track, and we do this nativey with the kids in our classes. Not so much, if at all, our learning peers.
How it Works: Consider a teacher who's just completed a course on online pedagogy. As they apply their learnings, regular feedback from students, peers, or a mentor can provide insights into what's working and what's not. This feedback can be structured (e.g., through monthly reviews) or more informal (e.g., through daily or weekly check-ins).
Why it Matters: Consistent feedback reinforces positive behaviors and helps recalibrate actions that might not be leading to desired outcomes. Over time, this iterative process, with its cycle of action-feedback-correction, ensures that the knowledge from the learning phase seamlessly integrates into day-to-day tasks. The key mechanism working here is the ‘Clarity of Distance’, where another person’s observations can inform our blind spots.
9. Integration of Neuroscience-Based Learning Techniques
Neuroscience offers a treasure trove of insights about how we learn, too often ignored in pedagogy and (especially) andragogy. By understanding and leveraging these principles, educators can craft experiences that align with how the brain naturally acquires and retains information.
One model that I have quoted and written about before is David Rock’s AGES model:
Utilising this as a reference frame - ensuring that each of the elements is provisioned in the learning design - is one way of embedding evidenced neuroscience into the learning.
How it Works: Techniques like spaced repetition, where information is reviewed at increasing intervals, capitalize on the brain's memory functions. Similarly, elaborative or socrative interrogation (probing with 'why' questions) encourages deeper understanding and connection-making at neuron/synaptic levels.
Why it Matters: These techniques don't just enhance memory; they change the brain. Neuroplasticity, the brain's ability to rewire itself based on experiences, means that effective learning strategies can strengthen the neural pathways associated with new knowledge or skills. By tapping into this, educators can ensure that their teachings are not just understood, but ingrained.
10. Tech-enabled Personalized Learning Pathways
In the age of AI and big data, one-size-fits-all is facing rapid extinction. Modern EdTech tools can create a learning experience that's as unique as each learner, ensuring that they engage with content that's directly relevant to their needs. Until recently, that previous sentence, itself, would have been clichéd. Our new world of AI is changing that:
“We think artificial intelligence needs to be a tool for real learning and not for cheating.” In that light, the tutors will give students hints and guide them as learners, but they won't give them the answer.
Sal Khan (Source)
Khan Academy’s Khanmigo is a contemporary example of the role AI can (and should) take in deepening the value of content-focused learning. It is a perfect example of how emerging AI tech can provide (until now) unimaginable personalisation for learners. If you’ve not seen the Sal’s TED Talk, soon would be a great idea.
How it Works: Through performance analytics and adaptive algorithms, EdTech platforms can assess a learner's strengths, weaknesses, preferences, and pace. They can then deliver content that addresses specific gaps or challenges, ensuring that learners focus their efforts where they're most needed.
Why it Matters: Personalized learning pathways mean that no two learners have the exact same journey—even if the end goal is the same. This tailored approach ensures that learners are neither bored with material that's too easy nor overwhelmed with content that's too advanced. The result? More effective learning, greater retention, and, most crucially, enhanced transfer to real-world scenarios.
So now that you have the final instalment, it doesn’t finish here. Each of the four strategies in this article will have further exploration in their own post.
More importantly, what have I missed in my series of ten strategies for transfer? What would you like me to include, or address?