According to ‘The Center for Accelerated Learning’, ‘A.L. is activity-based and learner-driven (ABLeD), taking interaction to the next level’. It encourages learners to discover and create their own knowledge through actual experiences and meaningful activities thus leading to greater learning.
In this case, the instructor becomes a facilitator of learning process and helps the learner in discovering and creating new knowledge to apply in real life scenarios.
Now that we know what is meant by accelerated learning let us see the 7 principles of accelerated learning.
They are:
- Learning involves whole mind and body
- It is creation and not consumption
- Collaboration enhances learning
- It takes place on various levels simultaneously
- It comes from actually performing
- It is enhanced by positive emotions
- Since the nervous system is more of an image than word processor, information in the form of images are absorbed instantly and automatically.
Accelerated learning techniques
You are now familiar with the principles of accelerated learning. Therefore, we can incorporate the 5 A.L.Techniques shown in the following figure in your course design so that the benefits of A.L. can be realized.
Benefits of accelerated learning
In A.L. programs, you meet less frequently but for longer duration. Weekend classes can come under this category. Therefore working professionals can learn without giving up their jobs. Teaching professionals can update their skills during summer holidays.
Long back (2000), after my Ph.D, specializing learning strategies, I had learnt computer skills related to educational technology during my summer holidays. It was a 6 months course of few hours duration. But I had spent more time during my summer holidays and mastered those skills in 1 ½ months and created interesting educational applications and published them in reputed international conferences too.
Since it encourages collaboration that involves interacting and sharing, it improves social skills.
It encourages creation of new knowledge and testing by actual performance. Hence paves way for innovation and improved performance.
As visual content will be preferred, just in time modules can be created to enhance performance of service professionals.
Since you learn anything at greater speed with assurance of mastering the content, it can be used wherever quick learning of concepts are required.
We can recall how we remember certain TV commercials where strong visuals coupled with music / audio produce positive emotions while we struggle to recollect list of some uninteresting data.
Have you undertaken any A.L. programs? Do you intend to take up any or design A.L. programs? Do share them in comment section.
The author is a Learning and Digital Marketing consultant and can be reached by visiting Advisor2u.
