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how
then to learn?
in his book 'Understanding How People
Learn', author David G Reay explains that learning is in fact a natural
phenomenon - something which all animals do to a greater or lesser extent,
particularly during their maturing period, but also throughout adulthood.
learning is:
1· continuous
consciously or unconsciously, we are learning new things all the time,
be it superficial - like learning it's hot today - or profound - like
learning what it means to fall in love!
2· natural
wanting to learn is a natural state of affairs. knowing how to do something
is associated with success; not knowing is associated with failure -
and no sane person wants to be a failure.
3· closely related to practical
experience - 'doing things'
learning through theory is an acquired skill but learning through doing
is a natural skill. take the example of a child trying to force objects
into a box with cut-outs of different shapes in the quest to understand
spatial relationships. the child makes attempts to match shapes until
he understands how it works and successfully completes his 'game'. it
is only when you can do something can you actually claim to understand
how it is done.
now that we know that learning is a natural
process, how is that some people don't learn? there are several barriers
to learning, being:
· lack of motivation
· unsuitable work environment
· inappropriate subject matter
· past experience
· self image
· inadequate study skills
· poor memory
any combination of the above factors will hinder the learning process
and cause resistance to learning.
one ingenious way to overcome these
barriers is to introduce and encourage learning through play - the playing
of games.
studies show that we remember well when
enjoying ourselves. in her book 'The Power of Mindful Learning', Ellen
J Langer encourages introducing learning materials through play. the
rationale behind it is that people seek novelty in play and have no
difficulty paying attention in those situations, because when something
is novel, we notice different things about it. in playing games, players
look more closely at all aspects of the situation to figure out how
to win - to win/overcome is a strong motivating factor.
moreover, when playing games, people are in a relaxed mode and are therefore
less self-conscious and less conscious of past experiences. defences
are also down in an informal setting, assuring low, or little resistance
to the intended learning values.
yet another good news is that playing games
does not require comprehensive study skills or extensive use of memory
- at least not for the teambuilding games developed by us at änergy.
thus, anyone in an organisation can participate, regardless of educational
qualifications, and everyone can benefit from the intended learning
points of the games.
co-authors of "World Class Training",
Kaye Thorne and Alex Machray, state that, "most memorable learning
experiences usually take place in a special environment". the correct
choice of location and layout are vital to encourage learning. to play
games require out-of-the-norm settings, away from the rigid work stations,
structured boardroom tables or classroom/theatre-style arrangements.
the different settings would prove to be a refreshing and certainly
more interesting change for people. with games, the informal atmosphere
also sets the stage for people to sub-consciously reveal traits otherwise
concealed during formal settings.
another research by the National Training
Laboratory has also proven that learning by doing (playing games) proves
to be most effective, next to personal coaching.
“If we find ways of enjoying our work – blurring the lines
between work and play – the gains will be greater.” –
Ellen Langer, Professor of Psychology, Harvard University
yet another gratification from playing
teambuilding games is the bonds that will be established within teams.
when team members strive together to achieve something, the spirit of
comradeship is inculcated, and it lingers even after the event. through
the teambuilding session, team members also gain more in-depth understanding
of each other in a non-threatening environment. this would eventually
help in managing differences in personality styles, and adds to the
greater cohesiveness within an organisation.
What more can we say? in a nutshell, learning
through teambuilding games would prove to be more productive, effective,
memorable and thus, more worthwhile!
as articulated by a wise man of the old,
“What I hear, I forget; what I see, I remember; but what I do
I understand." – Confucius 451 BC
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