Why It Makes Sense To Involve As Many Senses As Possible
By Deborah Spring Laurel

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tse understood how learning occurs hundreds of years ago when he so wisely said:  “Tell me, I may listen. Teach me, I may remember. Involve me, I will do it.”

It has been proven that the more senses that are engaged in the learning process, the greater the likelihood that new learning will be retained. The more we involve learners, the more senses are engaged, thereby increasing the probability that they will learn, retain, and apply what they have learned.

This principle is supported by four different research findings and models.

As you will see, each model builds upon the previous model.

The first model is the Cone of Experience and Learning, which Edgar Dale discovered in 1946. He found that after two weeks, we tend to remember only 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, and 30% of what we see.

However, once we start to involve more than one sense at a time- having learners both hear and see, we increase retention to 50%. Therefore, if the training method is lecture supported by PowerPoint, the possible learning retention is 50%.  However, this is still very passive learning. The learner is simply sitting there, supposedly taking in content.

The minute we actively engage the learner by having the learner say something about the content, we increase the likelihood of retention to 70%! The percentage geometrically increases to 90% when the learner has the opportunity to both say and do!

That is why it is so important to actively involve participants in learning activities that require them to verbally interact and to physically apply their new learning.  

The second model is the Triune Brain Model, which Dr. Paul MacLean developed in 1952. He discovered that there were three major layers or "brains," which were established successively in response to evolutionary need: the Reptilian System, the Limbic System, and the Neocortex. Each layer is geared toward more or less separate functions, but all three layers interact substantially.

For our purposes, one of the most important layers is the second layer, or the Limbic System. The Limbic System monitors emotion and plays a significant role in remembering new information. It acts as a switchboard, reading the sensations from the body and deciding which to send to the third layer, the Neocortex, for expanded awareness and action.

This model proves that memory is emotional and is lodged In the Limbic System. The more senses and sensations engaged, the more likely a memory will be created and retained. This is a cornerstone concept of Accelerated Learning.

The third model is the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives, which Benjamin Bloom proposed in 1956. Bloom headed a group of cognitive psychologists at the University of Chicago that identified six progressive and inter-dependent levels, or building blocks, of learning.

Knowledge is the first level, which is the foundation for all higher thinking. Without Knowledge, there cannot be a second level (Comprehension).

The only way we can determine whether Comprehension has been achieved is if the learner has an opportunity to restate new learning in his or her own words. As Edgar Dale has shown, saying increases the likelihood of retention to 70%.

Without the first and second levels, there cannot be the third level (Application). Application is the “doing” level, which increases the likelihood of retention to 90%.

In other words, a learner needs to have information (Knowledge) and understand what it means (Comprehension) before s/he can use it to do something (Application). Application is the launching pad for all higher level thinking: Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation.

The ultimate goal of skill-building training is for the learners to use the information or techniques they have been taught. As a result, the training must include training methods that provide Knowledge, check learner Comprehension, and give the learners the opportunity to practice the Application of the information or techniques. All of these training methods require the active participation of the learners.

The fourth model incorporates and systematizes all three previous models. This is the UCLA Mastery Teaching Model developed by Dr. Madeline Hunter at the University of California- Los Angeles in 1967.

According to Dr. Hunter, there are eight elements that should be considered in the design of an effective lesson. These elements constitute building blocks that, if placed in the appropriate sequence for the content to be taught, can ensure that the learners have the basic knowledge they need so that they can be successful.

The elements can be combined: for example, checking for comprehension and guided/monitored practice. They can be placed in a different order:  for example, letting the learners identify what the objective is later in the lesson rather than telling them right away. They can also be eliminated if they are not relevant to the learning process.

1.  Objective:  identify the learning objectives so that the learners know what to expect in the training module.

2.  Anticipatory Set:  ask a question or use a brief activity that requires the learners to focus on the learning objective.

3.  Input:  present the content to be learned, or draw it from the learners, possibly through their response to the anticipatory set.

4.  Model:  provide an example of the content, possibly through an analogy to explain the essence of what is to be taught.

5.  Check for Comprehension:  ask or respond to questions.

6.  Guided/Monitored Practice:  walk the learners through another example so that they can participate in applying the content.

7.  Independent Practice:  have the learners participate in an exercise that requires them to apply the content in another example without the instructor's assistance.

8.  Closure:  end the lesson to close down thinking.

The purpose of Elements #1 (Objective) and #2 (Anticipatory Set) is to prime the learners for learning by drawing on their memory of related content and thereby engaging the Limbic System.

Elements #3 (Input) and #4 (Model) relate to Bloom’s Knowledge level. Note that Input can be attained through active learner participation and Model builds on memory in the Limbic System.

Element #5 (Check for Comprehension) relates to Bloom’s Comprehension level and requires the learners to say something, increasing retention to 70%.

Elements #6 (Guided/Monitored Practice) and #7 (Independent Practice) relate to Bloom’s Application level, or beyond to the levels of Analysis, Synthesis, and/or Evaluation. They also require the learners to do something with what they have learned, which increases the probability of retention to 90%.

All four models reinforce the importance of engaging as many senses as possible by actively involving learners in the learning process to create memory. This effectively increases the probability of learning, retention, and application.

There are many different training methods that can actively involve learners.

If you are interested in learning how to engage as many learner senses as possible using a variety of interactive training methods, please watch for the next article!

Deborah Spring Laurel has been a trainer and a consultant in the areas of workplace learning and performance improvement for over thirty years. The President of Laurel and Associates, Ltd., she has provided train-the-trainer seminars and certification programs on a national basis for over ten years and on an international basis since 1998. Since 2004, she has facilitated the three-day national Trainer Certificate Program for the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD). She was the 2004 President-Elect and 2005 President of the South Central Wisconsin Chapter of ASTD. She has her Masters Degree from the University of Wisconsin- Madison.