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It is obvious that emotions play a key role in the learning process, which is understood by anyone who has ever taught both children and adults. Interest in the subject and its personal relevance for the learner contribute to better assimilation and retention of information, as well as more active application of acquired knowledge, for example, in professional activities.
Nevertheless, Nick Shackleton-Jones, a recognized expert in the field of corporate training and former HR Director at the consulting company Deloitte, attributes an even more significant role to emotions. In his opinion, emotions not only facilitate the learning process, but also play a key role in the functioning of human memory and cognition, which, in turn, determines the final results of the educational process. Based on his beliefs, Nick created an iterative model for designing corporate training programs, called 5Di, which is based on the theory of affective context.
Nick Shackleton-Jones began his professional career as a psychology teacher. He later switched to the field of training and personnel development, collaborating with such large organizations as the BBC, Siemens, and BP. He also served as Director of Learning at Deloitte UK before founding his own company, Shackleton Consulting.
Shackleton-Jones shares his views and experiences in the field of learning in his book, How People Learn. On October 24, he presented the key ideas of his work at the IX Conference "More Than Learning," organized by SberUniversity. We invite you to familiarize yourself with the highlights of his presentation.
The Influence of Emotional Experience on Information Retention
In the first session of the conference "More Than Learning," Nick Shackleton-Jones noted: "Many people have difficulty answering the question of how exactly we think. In my view, it's quite simple: we don't think, we feel." This idea is central to his theory and the 5Di model.
Why do you think that emotions and reason are different aspects, asks Nick. Are you sure there are separate areas of the brain responsible for thought and emotion? We believe they are distinct because, since ancient times, beginning with Plato and ancient Greek philosophy, we've been taught that reason and emotion are separate. However, Nick insists that all thought processes are emotional in nature. Emotions play a key role in remembering information. He says each of us can attest to this from personal experience: we remember best what evokes strong feelings in us. "Learning is not about the content, but about the emotional response we create in people," Nick concludes. An emotional response cannot be achieved simply by sitting someone in front of a screen and forcing them to read or watch something deemed useful.
During his next talk, Nick Shackleton-Jones asked the audience, "What do you remember about school?" He noted that people's responses ranged from memories of delicious food in the school cafeteria to interesting field trips. However, all of these memories have one thing in common: they are closely linked to emotions.
"Can you imagine that it's not knowledge, but emotions, that remain in the minds and feelings of your students? When I taught, this thought often made me uncomfortable, because I focused on the material and words, but in fact, people remember emotions," the speaker noted.
As he noted, each person has their own sources of emotional response, which leads to differences in the moments they remember. For example, during a train ride, one passenger might notice beautiful natural landscapes, while another focuses on the architectural features of the cities they pass.
A significant contribution to the study of neurophysiological mechanisms was made by the Canadian physiologist and neuropsychologist Donald Hebb. In his work entitled "The Organization of Behavior," he described in detail how the process of memorization occurs. According to his explanation, when a person encounters a new experience, the neurons involved in this process establish connections with each other, thereby forming an encoded memory. The more often the same neurons are activated, the stronger their connections become, which, in turn, makes the memory more persistent.
Nick Shackleton-Jones explains that the neurons in our memory do not record words or images. He states, "Humans do not have perfect photographic memories, and we cannot recall what was said word for word. Human memory has its limitations, and the brain does not record information the way a computer does." Instead, we remember our emotional reactions, and then, when necessary, the brain reconstructs the experienced events based on these emotions.
At the center of the theory of affective context, created by Nick Shackleton-Jones is the author of this concept. It offers an explanation of how learning and cognition occur as follows:
- Learning is the process by which behavior or skills are transformed as a result of memorizing information.
- Memory is the process by which an emotional response, or, in other words, an affective response, is recorded.
- Cognition is the processing of accumulated experience through emotional responses.
According to Shackleton-Jones, the main idea of the theory is as follows: "Thoughts and emotions are inextricably linked."
Mary Helen Immordino-Young, a renowned American neuropsychologist and director of the Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education at the University of Southern California, also supports Shackleton-Jones's view on the importance of emotions in cognition. She argues that, from a neurobiological point of view, it is impossible to deeply analyze topics that cause indifference in a person.
Application of affective context theory in the educational process
What is the value of affective context theory for the educational process? Nick Shackleton-Jones suggests paying attention to the emotional reaction of the target audience to the subject of study, considering where exactly on the spectrum of emotions - from indifference to curiosity - they lie.
When a person has a question, need, or difficulty, information that meets their request becomes important to them. This indicates the presence of a powerful affective context. In such a situation, the individual is emotionally involved and ready to independently search for the necessary content - be it through the Internet or communicating with colleagues. The speaker describes the state when a person strives to learn something new or master a skill as attraction. In this context, the role of the training specialist (primarily corporate training) is to provide the necessary materials and resources.
Of course, it often happens that employees are completely indifferent to personnel training. However, it is important for the company that employees acquire new knowledge and skills. In this situation, the primary task of the training and development specialist is to create a learning experience that will engage learners emotionally. To achieve this, methods such as storytelling and simulation games are used, as well as introducing new challenges that encourage people to actively participate in the learning process.
When someone starts working at a new company, they strive to integrate into the team and adapt to the work environment – this is where the principle of attraction comes into play. An effective onboarding program plays a key role in the adaptation process, providing information on issues that may concern them about the new workplace, such as dress code requirements. However, despite its importance, the topic of safety training is unlikely to spark employee interest. Therefore, it's important to create an experience that will change their perception and make safety issues more relevant and personal. As one of the speakers reported, training and development specialists at BP have developed simulators that allow employees to experience the consequences of accidents caused by non-compliance with safety regulations.
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Creating a Learning Environment: Taking Emotional Aspects into Account in Employee Training
"Developing e-learning courses is a task for many organizations. However, according to Nick, such courses deprived people of two key aspects of learning: interaction with others and a sense of self-worth."
He believes that courses do not lead to the desired results, since the learning process only uses two methods: pull and push. This means that organizations need to either provide their employees with the necessary resources to solve existing problems, or first create new challenges, evoking an emotional response, and only then provide the necessary resources. Therefore, according to Shackleton-Jones, the main job of learning and development specialists is to design experiences and resources for employees.
During his presentation at the "Beyond Learning" conference, Nick shared several examples of carefully crafted experiences:
- This activity is designed for new consultants who will be speaking publicly on a regular basis. Each participant is asked to take the stage, draw a random topic, and then improvise on it for one minute. According to the speaker, a subtle benefit of this exercise lies in the socialization process: participants learn not only from their own mistakes and successes but also from each other's experiences.
- This activity is designed for leaders and takes place in groups of 4-6 people with an audience. Participants assemble a piece of furniture while receiving instructions from actors playing the roles of bosses. These actors demonstrate common management mistakes, including micromanagement and a complete lack of structure. Students are exposed to different leadership styles and can observe how they affect the final result. This helps them recognize and implement more effective behavior patterns in their professional activities.
- For two months, program participants interact with "clients," played by actors representing various consumer profiles. They form teams to achieve company goals, participate in online conferences where they answer challenging questions from the audience, and also work to resolve issues with dissatisfied "clients."
Nick Shackleton-Jones believes that relying on online courses as educational resources is inappropriate. This is because when a person encounters a specific problem or question, they want to get an answer as quickly and easily as possible, rather than waste time on lengthy training. Moreover, if the employee needs the information after several months or even years, it should be available at the right time.
What resources can be in this context? The speaker gave several examples to illustrate this:
- The company's website now features a section dedicated to the onboarding process for new employees, filled with microformat content. This includes short texts, infographics, and short videos. Nick explained that this section replaced the traditional 8-hour induction course, which only about 300 new employees out of the 6,000 hired each year at BP completed. Now, the onboarding section has become the most popular on the website.
- HSBC has developed an app for managers that includes answers to common management questions, as well as various useful checklists. As one representative noted, this app has already been actively used by 2,500 managers at various levels.
- Onboarding materials in comic book format were developed for Deloitte consultants. As Nick Shackleton-Jones explained, new employees were previously invited to a two-week on-site program, which included daily lectures and presentations. This program cost approximately $1.7 million, but participants disliked it and retained little information. As a result, the theoretical content was eliminated entirely, and the program was shortened to five days, focusing on introducing new consultants to each other, the company, and their colleagues. All the necessary basic information, such as dress code rules, has been adapted as comics and placed in a special appendix.
Nick Shackleton-Jones calls on organizations to abandon traditional methods of adult learning, reminiscent of schooling, and proposes to use more modern approaches.
- It is necessary to focus not on the topics of training, but on the final results: what actions employees should take, what skills they should demonstrate and how they should transform their behavior.
- Interact with your target audience to understand what topics concern them, what issues arouse interest and what difficulties they may face.
- Design experiences and manage resources.
In his book, How People Learn, Nick Shackleton-Jones delves into the design of educational programs, relying on affective context theory and the 5Di design model. His website also offers free downloads of various materials and tools to help you apply this model.
At the end of the first part of the conference, he shared his personal experience: “I’ve come to the conclusion that much of my knowledge has come from self-study. This has been possible through interactions with a variety of people with different expectations and opinions. I’ve learned a lot through my travels and through overcoming life’s challenges. Later, looking back on my journey, I realized that I continue to evolve, constantly challenging myself and steering my boat toward new trials <…>. Therefore, I strongly recommend that you introduce your employees to a world of challenges and differences from their usual views if you want to facilitate their growth.”
The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Corporate Training
At the SberUniversity conference, the speaker also touched on the issue of using artificial intelligence in corporate training. Nick Shackleton-Jones expressed the opinion that the main difficulty associated with the use of AI is that people often do not know how to use it correctly.
“If traditional lectures do not produce results, then what is the logic in creating new lectures using AI? If users are not interested in online training modules, then why develop more such modules using AI? This will only lead to the accumulation of useless content,” says Shackleton-Jones.
The speaker expressed the opinion that using artificial intelligence is impractical for content generation. Instead, he highlighted one of the promising areas - supporting students in the educational process using AI. For example, these could be familiar chatbots that help users at the right time and direct them to the necessary resources.
According to a representative, Deloitte has developed an AI simulator for managers—a voice bot capable of assuming the guises of various characters. With its help, managers can practice complex communication scenarios with subordinates. Shackleton-Jones also demonstrated an example of a realistic AI avatar designed for video calls. This avatar can engage in conversations with clients and provide technical advice, and it can recognize not only the client's spoken language but also various aspects of their environment, as well as gestures and facial expressions.
In the field of learning experience design, the use of artificial intelligence is progressing much more slowly. Shackleton-Jones believes that this area will remain the domain of instructional designers, requiring their personal intervention and creative approach.
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- When developing corporate training programs, it is important to consider the emotional component of participants. Emotions play a significant role in how we perceive information and drive motivation.
First, it's important to create a positive atmosphere that fosters openness and interaction. This can be achieved through gamification, which introduces a game element and makes the learning process more engaging.
Furthermore, it's important to consider the individual characteristics of employees, their preferences, and previous experiences. A personalized approach helps increase engagement and satisfaction with training.
Feedback is also key. Regular surveys and discussions can help identify the emotional state of participants and tailor the program to their needs and expectations.
Don't forget the importance of support and mentoring. Having people ready to help and guide you can significantly reduce stress levels and increase employee confidence.
In conclusion, paying attention to emotions in the design of corporate training not only enriches the process itself, but also contributes to the creation of a more effective and productive work environment.
- The most popular format of training content for employees is videos less than three minutes long.
- The most popular methods for promoting active employee participation in the corporate training process have been identified.
- Five methods to engage students and improve retention of educational material.