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The Importance of Learning

Be ha vi or al S ci en ce

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The ImporTance of LearnIng

WHY IS LEARNING IMPORTANT? Learning is the foundation of your success in the entertainment industry. Your ability to learn new hardware and software, recall practices and techniques, and analyze and apply industry trends and advancements can determine the longevity and overall impact of your career.

Your brain’s capability to absorb, store, and process information will be the way you achieve all of the above. Learning is a continuous process as every day presents new information, updates, and events that shift the boundaries of the entertainment industry.

Lifelong learning is integral to your success. Knowing more about your brain’s approach to learning allows you to engage in the learning process in a way that works best for you.

Learning Importance

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Research shows that continuous learning has many benefits. Here are six reasons why learning is important: 1. Learning helps your brain stay healthy. 2. Learning helps you find meaning and fulfillment. 3. Learning allows you to gain access to different opportunities. 4. Learning is essential to personal growth and helps you achieve your goals. 5. Learning supports your well-being and builds self-confidence. 6. Learning helps spark new ideas and drives innovation.

As you can see, embracing lifelong learning is vital for student success and achieving goals. One way to begin shifting our perspective on learning is to become aware of how we learn. With this self-awareness, we can strive to discover methods that suit how we learn best.

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The brain is a mass of nervous tissue that converts sensory information (sight, sound, smell, touch, taste, and balance) into stored information using cells called neurons. There are approximately 80 billion neurons within the brain, and they communicate via specialized chemicals called neurotransmitters (Medina, 2014).

Learning changes and strengthens the connections in the brain, while inactivity can lead to connections being pruned or eliminated. When you recall a memory, it is not stored in a single neuron, but as a connection through a web of neurons. The connections between neurons need to be activated multiple times to become stronger. You need to practice information repeatedly to form pathways between your neurons. This week we will dive deeper into the role the brain plays in our learning.

LEARNING & THE BRAIN

“Do one thing at a time. The brain is a sequential processor, unable to pay attention to two things at the same time. Businesses praise multitasking, but research clearly shows that it reduces productivity and increases mistakes” (Medina, 2014, p. 120).

THE LEARNING PROCESS

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HOW DO WE LEARN? On your journey to gaining new skills, it’s important to be aware of how you learn. Learning is the process of gaining knowledge through experience, study, or instruction (being taught). When introduced to new information, the learning process has 3 steps: attention, memory storage, and retrieval (Diamond, 2015).

The first step in the learning process is attention. This means we must pay attention to what we are trying to learn. Since the average person can only focus on one complex task at a time, we must be willing to focus our attention on the task we are trying to learn.

1. ATTENTION

THE LEARNING PROCESS

How Do We Learn?

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2. MEMORY STORAGE The next step is storing this new information in our memory. We have three levels of memory storage that the information must go through before our brains can hold onto it. The three levels are:

When we first see or hear new information, it moves into the sensory memory, which only holds information for a few seconds. If we are paying attention and processing the information, we can move this information into our working memory, which is held for about a minute.

To move information from our working memory to our long-term memory, we must make an effort to practice the information by repeating it, studying it, or taking notes. This is also known as encoding. Encoding is a process of assigning meaning to something you have learned.

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MEMORY ENCODING EXAMPLE

How many times have you forgotten someone’s name shortly after they introduced themselves?

If you take the time to repeat their name, then you may remember it for a while longer as it moves to short-term memory. However, if you take the time to associate their name to something you are familiar with, then you may be able to move it to long-term memory.

For example, Scott introduced himself to Dawn. He repeated her name and thought about Dawn dish soap to associate with her name. The next time he said hello, he recalled the reference to dish soap and remembered her name was Dawn.

How Do We Learn?

THE LEARNING PROCESS

How Do We Learn?

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3. RETRIEVAL

The last step in the learning process is retrieval. Retrieval is accessing the information we have learned from our long-term memory. To be able to retrieve information from our memory, our brains need to organize information through the encoding process.

There are different techniques, such as memory aids, visuals, real-world examples, and applying the information to your own experiences that can help to encode the information.

In the previous example, Scott used the technique of associating a name with something familiar to encode Dawn’s name. Research shows that we can remember concepts easier if we are able to relate them to personal examples. You can ask yourself, “How does this information apply to me?” This can help with creating personal examples.

“The more elaborate we encode information at the moment of learning, the stronger the memory” (Medina, 2014, p. 135).

“Thinking and talking a lot about information soon after we encounter it (elaborate rehearsal) helps commit it to memory. Allowing time between repetitions is better than cramming” (Medina, 2014, p. 156).

Review the following chapteR foR tips about chunking infoRmation: consuming infoRmation in chunks.

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Research has shown that we usually forget 90% of what we learn in a class within 30 days. Most of the forgetting will happen within a few hours of encountering the new information (Medina, 2014).

Taking the time to understand what the information means to you and applying it to personal examples will help with encoding and recall. Repetition of this information will help move it into long-term memory.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT TO ENCODE NEW INFORMATION?

“Learning results in physical changes in the brain, and these changes are unique to each individual. Not even identical twins having identical experiences possess brains that wire themselves in the same way” (Medina, 2014, p. 95). 10

Your brain has the capacity to be shaped and molded. There is a significant amount of research that shows our brains are constantly changing as we learn new things.

Brain plasticity (also known as neuroplasticity) is essential to the learning process. Brain plasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt based on experiences and learning.

Every time we learn something new, our brain makes new connections and builds new pathways. This is your brain rewiring itself in response to learning a new skill or behavior. Your brain will get rid of neural connections that are no longer necessary and strengthen the necessary connections. This process is known as synaptic pruning.

It takes repetition for the new pathways to form as we continually learn and retain information. Your brain will continue to rewire itself as you continue to learn to maximize brain functioning (Medina, 2014).

WHAT IS BRAIN PLASTICITY?

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Learning allows us the opportunity to make changes to our behavior. In adulthood, many of us approach everyday life from our comfort zones. This means we usually lean towards activities that we are good at, enjoy doing, or things that we have done through repetition many times.

Running on autopilot is less stressful and takes the least amount of cognitive effort, so it makes sense that this is human nature (Boschi, 2020). By challenging ourselves to learn new ideas or skills, we can alter our brains as well as our behaviors. If the goal is to embrace lifelong learning, then we must appreciate challenges as an opportunity to grow.

Understanding the connection between our brain, behaviors, and learning can help inspire us to take action to improve our skills and embrace lifelong learning. Embracing learning is also an essential part of flow.

HOW CAN LEARNING ALTER OUR BEHAVIOR?

“Understanding neuroplasticity inspires

the dedication needed to change your brain to

improve your skills” (Lewis & Webster, 2014, chapter 3).

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Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (pronounced Me-High Chick-Sent-Me-High) was the co-founder of positive psychology and is known as the “father of flow.” He coined the term flow to describe the psychological state of optimal brain performance. Flow is also described as being “in the zone.”

Style (2015) offers this explanation of flow. “Flow is one of the most pleasurable states we can experience; when we are so lost in what we are doing that we become oblivious to everything else, all our cares and worries fall away, even time.” To learn more about flow, watch the LinkedIn Learning: What is Flow? video below, which describes flow, its history, and how to understand what flow may look like in your life.

WHAT IS FLOW?

Csikszentmihalyi (2009) used the following characteristics to describe when you are in a state of flow:

What Is Flow?

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Flow is being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. –Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Growth

Excited

Joy

Fun

Frustration

Boredom

CHALLENGE VS. SKILL

Our brain also releases dopamine when we enter flow. Dopamine increases our attention, which is needed for the first step in the cognitive process of learning. Achieving flow brings great satisfaction, which helps increase the desire to continue the behaviors that lead to flow. Repeating the behaviors leads us to achieve new skills. The state of flow also keeps us wanting to learn more and pushes us to find new challenges (Style, 2015).

This means flow is important to learning, especially if we are seeking mastery in certain skills or knowledge. Students who get into flow as they study do better in their academics and are motivated to continue learning new things (Goleman, 1995).

Flow happens in the moment where a person’s skill level is well matched to the challenge they are facing. If the challenge is too hard, then we will become frustrated or stressed. If the challenge is too easy, then we will become bored.

If the challenge is just right with our learning level, then we experience a flow state. The state of flow helps to rewire the connections in our brains associated with the challenge.

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There are many resources available that can help you refine your process and achieve a flow state. Watch the LinkedIn Learning: Focus and Flow video below, which describes the process of flow and gives suggestions on how to practice flow in your life.

HOW CAN I PRACTICE FLOW IN MY LIFE?

TIPS FOR FINDING FLOW

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REFERENCES Boschi, H. (2020). Why We Do What We Do: Understanding our brain to get the best out of ourselves and others. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Retrieved from https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/why-we- do/9781119561491/c03.xhtml#head-2-13

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow: The psychology of optimal experience. Harper and Row. Diamond, A. (2015) Cognitive Processes in Learning: Types, Definition & Examples. Retrieved from https://study.com/academy/lesson/cognitive- processes-in-learning-types-definition-examples.html.

DK. (2015). The Psychology Book. DK Publishing. Retrieved from https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/the-psychology- book/9781465439291/OEBPS/xhtml/PSYBOO04824HOU.xhtml#:- :text=Ebbinghaus%20found%20that%20he%20,ive%20in%20 memorizing%20a%20list

Goleman, D. (2020) Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ. Bantam Books.

Hale-Evans, R. (2006). Mind Performance Hacks: Tips & tools for overclocking your brain. O’Reilly Media. Retrieved from https://learning. oreilly.com/library/view/mind-performance-hacks/0596101538/ch01s11. html

Lewis, J. & Webster, A. (2014). Sort Your Brain Out: Boost Your Performance, Manage Stress and Achieve More. John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Retrieved from https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/sort-your- brain/9780857085368/c03.xhtml#c3-sec-0003

Medina, J. (2014). Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School. Pear Press.

Style, C. (2015). Change Your Life with Positive Psychology. Pearson. Retrieved from https://learning.oreilly.com/library/view/change-your- life/9781292084350/html/chapter-0

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IMAGES Pixabay. (2014, November 26). Free brain mind psychology illustration. https://pixabay.com/illustrations/mindbrain-mindset- perception-544404/