Most people wouldn’t call learning an “emotional” experience, but science suggests that emotion is critical for cognitive development and sustained learning. In 2016, neuroscientist Dr. Mary Helen Immordino‐Yang published research regarding the connection between emotion and education. Emotional thought is the platform for memory, decision-making, and creativity – all foundational elements to sustained learning. In fact, the connection between caring and cognition is so direct that Yang notes, “It is literally neurobiologically impossible to build memories, engage complex thoughts, or make meaningful decisions without emotions.”
Creating a Connection with Custom Learning Solutions
People think more deeply about the things they care about. An emotional connection to a subject can help learners think critically and be more engaged with the material. As Yang noted, “Helping students care about what they are learning is both difficult and complex, but it appears to be essential for the development of truly useful, transferable, intrinsically motivated learning.”
So how can you get teams to care about their training?
Organizations can create more connection between the learning experience and the learner by keeping training and development materials and educational curriculum as relevant as possible to their job roles. Custom learning solutions allow you to tailor your L&D materials to an employee's role or the goals of the organization. It’s also important that learners understand how the training relates to the big picture. The more employees understand how what they’re learning connects to their role or their day to day responsibilities, the more engaged they’ll feel, rather than feeling forced to complete an irrelevant course just to check off a corporate requirement.
Learners will also be able to create a positive emotional connection to their training if it’s developed and delivered in engaging formats, which is why formats like microlearning and immersive eLearning are popular ways to help sustain learning successfully.
Emotional connection counts in the classroom. Hyper-relevant content delivered in a format that resonates with learners can create a more personalized experience that connects with your teams. If you’re looking for more effective learning solutions, get in touch with our team to talk about developing solutions that can support your unique goals and best connect with our employees.
