The learning styles hypothesis states that some people have auditory learning styles, whilst some have visual. It makes sense then, that a form of learning that enables the learner to process the information according to their learning style, will be much more effective. The brain however is a little more complex than this, but taking account of the way the brain works when it is in learning mode, will help you to develop, evaluate or use e-learning materials effectively.

The psychology of learning

For the learning process to be successful, the student needs to sustain their attention whilst their brain stores information as memory. Unfortunately, the neural systems that perform this task in the brain, get tired in a matter of minutes. They can recover quickly, but need to rest and so seek stimulation from other sources, whilst the recovery cycle takes place. It goes without saying then, that the most effective form of training must incorporate a number of different stimuli from different sources. If you can manage to get those different sources of information to delivermessages that are related by concept, fact, or visualisation,then you can maximise the retention of that information.

How e-learning helps

e-learning can be a very affective way of increasing the retention of information. It can use a number of different methods to capture attention and sustain it. You can embed just about any form of media into an e-learning module, so the possibilities for stimulating the different areas of the brain are increased. You can make the material interactive, getting the student to make associations between facts, concepts and real-world situations.

e-learning modules can be particularly useful when used in simulations. Imagine a fire safety training module that actually takes the student through a realistic "game" where they have to make split second descisions on what fire extinguisher they need to use in different situations...at the same time they have to use the computer mouse to 'drag-and-drop' people to the correct area of safety, whilst answering pop up questions. The sights and sounds of a real life situation would help the information to 'stick' but would also allow the student to make mistakes in a safe environment, another very important aspect of the learning process.

However, cognitive processes are complex and simply throwing as many different types of stimuli into an e-learning course can be counter-productive, since the cognitive processes can get overloaded. If the brain is busy processing graphics, it may not be able to process written words at the same time. The trick is to think about auditory and visual channels in cognitive processing and take care to balance the information that you need processing.

Further reading and other resourcesBook - e-learning and the science of instruction

Website - Find out your learning style from Peterhoney.com (of Honey & Mumford fame)

Website - Learn about learning strategies and how, by applying the science of metacognition, you can tailor your e-learning solutions.