Learning Is Not Easy (Especially When Others Make It So Hard)

Most books start—logically, we might add—with an introduction that sets the stage for what’s to come and then lays out, in overview, the contents of the volume. We’ll get around to that soon enough. You have our word on this. However, we’ve always enjoyed the openings to thriller movies that hit you with a teaser to arouse your interest before moving on to the title, opening credits, and the rest of the movie. Prepare yourself, then, for a couple of challenging teasers.

Challenge 1

You’ve got 60 seconds to learn the following 18-digit sequence. One error and the bomb explodes. Time yourself. Ready? Go!

Now, cover the number sequence. You have 30 seconds to write down all 18 digits, in order, with no errors in the following box. Go!

How well did you do? How easy or hard was it? Almost no one can do it, especially under time pressure. Is there any way we can make the learning task easier? Here, once more, is our number:

4 1 2 5 2 7 2 4 6 0 6 0 3 1 3 0 2 8

And here are clues to accompany it. Please pay close attention. Your life depends on it!

Read the sequence again as you try to retain the numbers. The total of the two readings should take about 60 seconds.

Now, once more, cover the numbers. Take 30 seconds—no more— to write down the sequence in the space below. Go!

And here’s the correct answer:

How did you do this time? In our tests with various learners, most do far better when they actively work out the clues than when they just study the numbers. There’s a reason for this—one that we’ll explain later.

Challenge 2

Up for another challenge? The other day we received the following invitation to a party in a city we had never visited. Please read it through without trying to memorize it. You should spend about 30 to 45 seconds on it. Then cover the note and answer the questions that follow the invitation.

Hi, here are the directions: From the airport, take the road that leads out of the rental lot and follow it past the barrier around the lot until you get to the end where you connect up with the road out. Take the road, and just before it veers right, you’ll see a triple fork. If you take the left branch, you’ll head west and away from the lake. Don’t do that! Straight puts you under the viaduct and really off track. Take the right branch and bear right at the next fork to the roundabout where you go not quite halfway around to the second road. It’s 379 East, although it really goes south, so don’t worry. From then on, it’s a straight shot. Cheers, André

Answer these questions without referring to the note:

1. Where’s the parking lot?
2. Where are the rental cars?
3. What do you have to pass to get out of the parking lot?
4. What do you see just before the road veers right out of the parking lot?
5. After the second fork, what do you watch for?
6. Do you go over or under the viaduct?
7. Which highway do you take?

We asked for clearer directions. Our friend’s sister sent us the map you’ll find on the next page (figure 1-1).

Study this map for about 30 to 45 seconds. Then, come back to this page and without referring to the map, answer the same seven questions as before:

1. Where’s the parking lot?
2. Where are the rental cars?
3. What do you have to pass to get out of the parking lot?
4. What do you see just before the road veers right out of the parking lot?
5. After the second fork, what do you watch for?
6. Do you go over or under the viaduct?
7. Which highway do you take?

Turn the book over to find the correct answers.

Was it easier that time? Once again, in our trials we found that almost everyone had errors in the first attempt. However, nearly no one erred once they had seen the diagram.

We presented these two learning challenges for the following reasons:

• To demonstrate that the same content, presented differently, creates a different impact on learning and retention.
• To get you to participate, respond, and receive feedback—all key to creating excellent learning events.
• To give you a taste of this book’s style—fun, easy to read, challenging, a bit tongue in cheek, but focused on a serious theme.

Before we give away too much of the story, why don’t you participate once more?

In table 1-1 are sets of paired statements. Please check the statement in each pair that most closely corresponds to your personal experience of learning (check only one from column A or column B each time).

From our own experience in learning and from trying out these statement pairs with a lot of adults, we suspect that you checked most of the statements in column B and few to none in column A. No surprise. What does astonish us, however, is that those who teach for a living (instructors, teachers, professors, trainers) also check almost all the column B statements, but when we observe them teaching or training, they act as though column A statements were true!

Time and again, we see almost a complete reversal between what people say about how they learn and how they try to help others learn. Quite the paradox! It’s also one of the main reasons for writing this book.

What Is This Book About?

Enough teasing. Let’s see what this book is all about. A lot of traditions, myths, and misguided—although well-intentioned—principles and activities in training create barriers to effective learning. We have produced this book for two main reasons: to dispel these counterproductive beliefs and practices that harm the instructional process and to help you to be the most effective trainer or instructor you can be. Here then is what Telling Ain’t Training: Updated, Expanded, and Enhanced offers you:

• Separation of myths from research-based findings about learning and training. We have done this in a nonacademic way using lots of examples and exercises. The goal is to make you reflect upon and reject the ill-founded myths that many people in the teaching-learning world perpetuate.
• A breezy and friendly style that we believe will get our message across better than a formal approach. But don’t let the style fool you. Everything in this book is based on what the best research evidence tells us about how to help people learn.
• Lots of endnotes that offer additional reading and useful references to support what we have covered in the book. As you read, you will come across numbers in superscript. These refer to the endnotes at the back of the book. They serve four purposes: to be as inobtrusive as possible and hence not interfere with your reading; to substantiate what we say and allow you to back up any arguments you may make to others based on this book; sometimes to elaborate on what is in the text; and, finally, to suggest additional readings if you wish to pursue a particular topic.
• Lots of interaction. As you’ve already seen, you get to do things and think about them, not just read words. To make our message meaningful and credible, we want to use an approach that is consistent with what we are proposing. All human beings—and that includes you and us—learn through active mental engagement. In this book, we make every effort to engage you mentally in meaningful ways.
• Practical and down-to-earth counsel. One of us authors has devoted his almost 50-year career to studying and conducting research about learning and then translating findings into practical application. The other one of us has spent close to 40 years in business managing the learning and performance of people. Together, the two of us focus on what it really takes to help people learn.
• Above all, a sharing with you of what we have learned in our lifetimes. The goal is for you to become highly effective trainers much more quickly than we did by interacting with the contents of this book.

Are you convinced? Even fired up? Then let us turn to the beginning—the introduction.