Creating Brain Friendly Conferences

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Creating Brain Friendly

Conferences

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3

4

5

6

11

reasons people attend

conferences

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Education

Networking

Business leads

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Is there a difference between

education & information?

Teaches skills in critical thinkingproblem solvingcollaborationdecision makingevaluationanalysis

knowledge in long-term memorymeaning and connects with existingworking memory as the learner abstractsan active process that takes place in the

knowledge in long-term memorymeaning and connects with existingworking memory as the learner abstractsan active process that takes place in the

A cellular process

Eric Kandel, Nobel Prize, 2000

2. Providing context & meaning-making1. Attending to information, words & visuals

4. Integrating into long-term memory 3. Connecting & comparing2. Providing context & meaning-making1. Attending to information, words & visuals

new info with knowledge in long-term memory

for making meaning & connectingmust be given time

Difference between a report & a presentation

Tractor

Green

Apple

Zero

Weather

Pastel

Quickly

Ocean

Nicely

Countertop

Airplane

Jump

Laugh

Tall

39

Group 1: determine number of

letters that have diagonal lines in

them and the number that do not.

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Group 2: Think about the meaning

of each word. Rate the word on a

scale of 1-10, 10 most like.

41

Tractor

Green

Apple

Zero

Weather

Pastel

Quickly

Ocean

Nicely

Countertop

Airplane

Jump

Laugh

Tall

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43

Write down as many of the

words as you remember

Tractor

Green

Apple

Zero

Weather

Pastel

Quickly

Ocean

Nicely

Countertop

Airplane

Jump

Laugh

Tall

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45

Write everything you knowabout the brain

1. Can I eat it?

2. Will it eat me?

3. Can I mate with it?

Fighting

Feeding

Fleeing

Reproductive behavior

Roadways

Attendees’ brainsWe can’t pour info into

58

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

Talking Head

Talking Head

Passive Listener

of Academy activities

1991 Berkley Study

1991 Berkley Study

Bligh, 2000

Bligh, 2000

People usually forget

90%of what they

learn in a class

within 30 days.

Majority of loss

occurs within

hours of class.

German psychologist &

memory researcher Hermann Ebbinghaus

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

Requires storytelling

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

novelty, unusual

images

Requires chunking,

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

patterns, context

relevancy

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Brain pays attention to patterns

IRSYMCAWTFIBMKGBFBI

Brain pays attention to patterns

Former knowledge hooks content

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

What does this mean for my meetings?

• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning

• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets

• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning• Death by Bullets• Powerpointless presentations• Cognitive Overload• Too much text on a slide• White/light fonts on dark slides• Great way to lull audience to sleep• Does not stimulate the brain to learn• Go against brain-friendly strategies• Decreases learning

Vision trumps senses in retention & learning

Brain Friendly Strategy #2

Pears

Recognition doubles with pictures

50% of brain processing devoted to visuals

We see with our brains, not eyes

Primarily oral, we recall

Primarily visual, we recall

3x as much from listening

Primarily oral & visual, we recall

6x as much from listening

Vision trumps

Brain Friendly Strategy #2

all other senses.

What does this mean for my meetings?

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

Vision trumps senses in retention & learning

Brain Friendly Strategy #2

The brain doesnot pay attention

to boring things

You have an attention span of

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

10 minutes

Content should be chunked in

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

10 minute segments

Anchor 10 min segments with

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

Stories

Relevancy

Problems content solves

10-20 minutes of content

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

then 10-20 minutes

discussion

7 pieces of information

Your brain can hold

for 30 seconds

move to working memory

It must be repeated to

or it disappears!

is waiting for a repeat

The brain neuron

signal of info or it resets.

working memory for

If repeated, it moves to

60 minutes or more.

repetitions that matter.

It’s the spacing between

to process information.

Brain must be given time

You have an attention

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

span of 10 minutes.

What does this mean for my meetings?

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

Vision trumps senses in retention & learning

Brain Friendly Strategy #2

You have an attention span of

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

10 minutes

Think of your content as

Brain Friendly Strategy #4

answers

Take time to explain the

Brain Friendly Strategy #4

questions

Your brain likes to solve problems

Successfully solving problems

releases dopamine

Brain & body flooded with

rush positive feelings

Does the content

make attendees

think

Think of your content

Brain Friendly Strategy #4

as answers.What does this mean for my meetings?

The brain does

Brain Friendly Strategy #1

not pay attention

to boring things

Vision trumps senses in retention & learning

Brain Friendly Strategy #2

You have an attention span of

Brain Friendly Strategy #3

10 minutes

Think of your content as

Brain Friendly Strategy #4

answers

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What is engagement?

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Engagement with content?

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3 Levels Of Engagement

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Conversation, collaboration, collective action

How can we help attendees get from the

first level to last?

136Conversation, collaboration, collective action

Traditional Education

uses a push method

Old

• Training

• Rigid

• Program

• Mandated

• Formal

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Today’s Education

uses a pull method

Old

• Training

• Rigid

• Program

• Mandated

• Formal

New

• Learning

• Flexible

• Platform

• Self-Service

• Informal

138

The Traditional Conference

Push Method

Conference & Event Organizers decide

where bus going, attendees along for ride.

(Good for newbies, bad for veterans)

139

The New Conference

Pull Method

Riders choose destination,

speed, route & decide if they

want to take detours or help

others. (Best for veterans and

experienced professionals)

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Participatory Culture

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145on social networking sites

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Today’s networked individuals

Participatory Class

emerging class of citizens

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Active participation in content

development, sharing

Participatory Culture

148

Social connection to others

contributions matter

Participatory Culture

The Future

Of Learning

Institutions

In A

Digital Age

http://www.hastac.org/node/2238149

150

Education must

transition to

1) Participatory Learning

Internet changed how we all

learn, play, socialize

engage in life

Participatory Learning

Commonplace, not exotic

Process, not product

Participatory Learning

Not passive

About conversations

comments, engagement

• How does participatory

learning impact traditional

conferences?

154

2) Presumed Authority

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To Collective Credibility

Communal

Democratic

Presumed Authority to

156

Collective Credibility

Problem solving via group processes

Interdisciplinary

Presumed Authority to

157

Collective Credibility

Requires helping attendees learn skills

to address different points of views

• What barriers exist to keep

you from moving to this

model?

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• What role do Subject Matter

Experts (SMEs) play in this

model?

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3) Horizontal Structures

Less authoritative, top-down, standard

Knowledge gap between speaker

audience shrunk

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Horizontal Structures

Collaboration, teamwork,

problem solving, knowledge making

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Horizontal Structures

Emphasis on Peer to Peer

Less monologues, panel dialogues

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4) Variety of Formal & Informal

80% learning - informal

Move from push to pull methods

Informal Learning Opps

Novice workers Mature (5-10 yrs) Experienced >10 yrs

Directed Self-Directed Helping Others

Class Discovery Coaching

Course Searching (Google) Mentoring

Source: Jay Cross’ Working Smarter164

Formal & Informal

Novice workers Mature (5-10 yrs) Experienced >10 yrs

Directed Self-Directed Helping Others

Class Discovery Coaching

Course Searching (Google) Mentoring

Lecture Trial-and-error Storytelling

Test/Exam Collaborating Giving Feedback

1 Right Answer Asking Nurturing

Source: Jay Cross’ Working Smarter165

Formal & Informal

Novice workers Mature (5-10 yrs) Experienced >10 yrs

Directed Self-Directed Helping Others

Class Discovery Coaching

Course Searching (Google) Mentoring

Lecture Trial-and-error Storytelling

Test/Exam Collaborating Giving Feedback

1 Right Answer Asking Nurturing

Curriculum Skimming Modeling

Listening Observing Reflecting

Instructions Conversing Connecting

Source: Jay Cross’ Working Smarter166

Formal & Informal

• What must we do

differently to encourage

this?

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Novice workers Mature (5-10 yrs) Experienced >10 yrs

Directed Self-Directed Helping Others

Class Discovery Coaching

Course Searching (Google) Mentoring

Lecture Trial-and-error Storytelling

Test/Exam Collaborating Giving Feedback

1 Right Answer Asking Nurturing

Curriculum Skimming Modeling

Listening Observing Reflecting

Instructions Conversing Connecting

Source: Jay Cross’ Working Smarter168

Formal & Informal

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5) Networked LearningLearning is social

Conversational & partnering

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Networked Learning

Emphasizes flexibility & outcomes

Mobilizing networks

Assertive to enabling

• How can you encourage more

participant dialogue &

conversations at your

conferences and in your

education?171

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6) Interactive & w/out Walls

Life-long learning

Free Wi-Fi

Encouraging social sharing

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6) Interactive & w/out Walls

Many-to-multitudes

Engages those not present

Extends messages

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6) Interactive & w/out Walls

Extends ideas, practices for betterment

Of Profession & Industry

• What challenges do you see

with “Without Walls?”

• How can you overcome them?

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1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

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1) Participatory Learning

1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

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1) Participatory Learning

2) Presumed Authority

To Collective Credibility

1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

178

1) Participatory Learning

2) Presumed Authority

To Collective Credibility

3) Horizontal Structures

1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

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4) Formal & Informal

1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

180

4) Formal & Informal

5) Networked Learning

1. To participatory learning

2. From presumed authority to

collective credibility

3. To more horizontal structures

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4) Formal & Informal

5) Networked Learning

6) Interactive & w/o walls

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Planning Education & Meetings

Not A Piece Of Cake

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Adult Ed & Meetings

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