Research and development has greatly focused on the parts of the brain that are used to comprehend new ideas, and more importantly retain them long-term. This research has culminated in the study strategy that looks to map learning with known brain functions. The result is learning and training methodology that is more tailored to the individual person, and more flexible in its approach than techniques that have been traditionally adopted.
Gone are the days of studying at a desk from nine till five, and learning by rote in a busy classroom environment. Gone are the educational processes more commonly associated with Charles Dickens’ lifetime. In their place come new innovative techniques and forums involving the internet and remote technological training facilities. Now students can decide when and where they study depending on how they actually feel; within their very own training programme, instead of a scheduled methodology arbitrarily set by a third party.
This formula has seen incredible results in the increase in development and ultimately the results achieved by the students themselves. Countries where there’s a barrier between the student and the source of education – whether it’s geographical or natural – have seen an increasing reliance on ‘remote education’ systems. New Zealand and Sweden, for example, have both used teleconferencing techniques to bring high quality teacher training directly to the homes of remote students, both with increasing results – more so than the average performance worldwide.
USAF (the US Air Force) have conducted long term studies centering on the question – “When is the student most proficient at studying?” Comparative studies have also been undertaken by the US American Football Association. Whilst all the studies accept the individuality of students based on their personal circumstances and factors, a number of clear similarities have emerged. New and powerful training techniques have subsequently been adopted due to the benefits realised.
An early discovery was that during the morning period – or when the individual awakes from sleep (which is obviously different if you work nights) – it’s survival that mainly dominates the brain. The areas of the brain working most effectively at this time deal with centering the individual within their location, identifying the temperature of the day etc. Equally this area of the brain that is dominant (so to speak) at this time is closely linked to the short-term memory.
As the day passes, there’s a change in dominance within the brain. The short-term memory – or survival – settles down, and the functions of the long-term memory become more powerful. This is most likely to be as the person begins to realise that they’re no longer likely to be attacked by a sabre tooth tiger! This process, on average, begins around 11am, and settles at 2pm in the afternoon (again assuming we’re dealing with a Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm working cycle). At about 2pm, the functions of the brain are closely linked to long-term memory retention. Consequently it’s around this time that both the USAF and the American Football Association have had the most success in teaching their students complex manoeuvres, whether these are low level flying skills, dog fighting skills or complex set team pieces on the football field.
These lessons have successfully translated across a wide arena of other disciplines and industry sectors. Some companies in the UK have successfully incorporated this philosophy into their IT training systems. Here, students have access to the highest quality of teacher resource on a 24×7 basis. Models exist that allow students to pick and choose when and where they study, so that they can find their own 2pm ‘sweet spot’ and select the best environment to encourage the long-term memory function of the brain.
Traditional educational models are by their very nature difficult to adjust and more restrictive. However, there’s good evidence of a move away from these educational structures, including a reliance upon pens and paper, and the summation of an individuals knowledge into one single exam – as the evidence has exposed that not everybody shines in a pure exam environment, and the question as to the timing of the exam may help some students more than others.
With an ever larger route to information and the fountain from which we drink new ideas, we’re seeing more personalised training programmes taking over as the norm. People are looking for the methods, times of day and source of material that best suits their budget, their lifestyle and their aspirations. Whether this is via an individual approach or through a formalised training programme, ultimately the intention is to have the facility to achieve more. Initial indicators suggest that this indeed is the result.
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