tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604620482023286355.post5829241161583227394..comments2024-03-28T10:50:05.763-04:00Comments on Learning in Tandem: You can't measure learning, but you can measure behaviorAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11423343578843915247noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604620482023286355.post-18554862784012919592011-12-11T08:50:01.418-05:002011-12-11T08:50:01.418-05:00I often say that I'm not sure that I've EV...I often say that I'm not sure that I've EVER changed anyone's behavior. The best I can do is to show them where it would be in their own rational self-interest to do so.<br /><br />Yes, I can effect a short-term change -- using either a carrot or a stick. I can offer someone $100 to do what I want, or I can threaten to fire them if they don't. Either one will work as long as I have enough carrots or sticks. But eventually they become ineffective.<br /><br />As a developer of learning materials, I often find that clients want me to develop some kind of training to change behavior that will benefit the C-suite, but not the actual employees. (Keys to identifying these types of projects are words like "increasing productivity" and "doing more with less" and "raising the bar".)<br /><br />It usually involves putting the same amount of hamsters on the wheel, but making the wheel go around faster while supplying less food. The hamster will quickly identify what's going on, no matter how many motivational posters or inspirational videos you provide.Dick Carlsonhttp://www.techherding.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604620482023286355.post-54809962559810734332011-12-08T16:16:32.229-05:002011-12-08T16:16:32.229-05:00Donald - I love your example of holistic medicine ...Donald - I love your example of holistic medicine versus surgery...it actually reflects a very common problem in human cognition that we overvalue the immediate reward of a behavior and undervalue the long-term impacts of that behavior, causing us to make (logically) very flawed decisions. The trick is to, as you point out, add context and relevance to the behaviors you want (in your example, social reinforcement) that are more valuable in the short-term than smoking a cigarette or eating a cookie. <br /><br />Mark - I like the thought that the purpose of all communication is to change behavior, as simply informing removes the responsibility of action or consequence of having knowledge. In other words, what is the point of knowing something if you're not doing anything about it? I've become bored with great theorists or inspirational thinkers/speakers who haven't actually taken action; tired of armchair quarterbacks who espouse what people should be doing but who aren't actually doing those things themselves. Anybody can say anything, can't they? It's what you do that ultimately counts...and for learning professionals, the proof of our effectiveness is in performance and behavioral data, not what someone scored on a knowledge check or content assessment :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11423343578843915247noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604620482023286355.post-76863384451413868612011-12-08T15:54:39.225-05:002011-12-08T15:54:39.225-05:00I have long had a little mantra that I use to coac...I have long had a little mantra that I use to coach people who are struggling with a communication problem: "The purpose of all communication is to change behavior." I get a lot of resistance from writers on this. No, they insist, we just want to inform people, not change their behavior. <br /><br />When I blogged about this recently (http://everypageispageone.com/2011/10/11/the-purpose-of-all-communication-is-to-change-behavior/), I got the same push-back in the comments. <br /><br />The problem, I think, is that many writers and educators actually think it is wrong, or at least impolite, to try to change people's behavior. Some positively bristle at the suggestion that this is what they are supposed to do. <br /><br />The interesting question is, how much does this reluctance -- perhaps we could call it this respect for the reader's autonomy -- actually affect how people write and teach. Do they, consciously or unconsciously, draw back at the moment when they might actually push the reader to the point of change. Do they, deliberately or subconsciously, choose forms of writing or instruction that are less effective in changing behavior? <br /><br />I have to think that if you don't think it is your job to change people's behavior, you probably won't succeed in doing it.Mark Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07694018807138397095noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1604620482023286355.post-24569661367879962332011-12-08T12:48:14.241-05:002011-12-08T12:48:14.241-05:00Hi Koreen,
I believe you hit the target about des...Hi Koreen,<br /><br />I believe you hit the target about designing for immersive learning environments (designing an experience). In an article by Fast Company, <a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/94/open_change-or-die.html" rel="nofollow">Change or Die</a>, they tell the story of coronary-artery bypass patients who have surgery to relieve pain, rather than to cure them. In fact, the only real cure is for them to start taking better care of themselves, such as quitting smoking, eating less, and exercising. Yet, in study after study, very few do! When these patients are looked at two years after their surgery, 90% have not made any significant change to their lifestyle.<br /><br />Going back to the heart patients, a researcher showed that a holistic program focused around a vegetarian diet, can actually reverse heart disease without surgery or drugs. This holistic program includes going after their feelings by having them attend a twice-weekly support group sessions led by a psychologist. It includes instruction in aerobic exercise, meditation, relaxation, and yoga and lasts for about a year. A study showed that after three years, 77% of the patients had stuck with their lifestyle changes and avoided the surgery. A far cry from the 10% who succeed when only given cognitive instructions.<br /><br />This holistic method works better as the change is reframed -- rather than trying to motivate patients with the fear of death; they are motivated with the joy of living. Facing death for most people is much too frightening to think about, thus patients often go into denial; where as making daily life more enjoyable is a powerful motivator.<br /><br />Thus rather than drive people to change through fear, we should be guiding them to the joys of life. I wrote an article about performance management, <a href="http://nwlink.com/~donclark/leadership/pm.html" rel="nofollow">Completing the Zen in Performance Management</a> that includes the concepts of Learn, Reframe, Flow, and Viscosity that relates to your post.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01980740206430947090noreply@blogger.com