MDA Training

Category: Perceptual Thinking

  • How can perceptual thinking methods benefit workplace training programmes?

    How can perceptual thinking methods benefit workplace training programmes?

    Perceptual thinking serves to shift mindsets away from traditional, linear forms of taking on information in favour of innovative methods in order to maximise learning retention.

    By manipulating the type, delivery, frequency of information to better suit the needs of individuals, perceptual thinking can serve to ensure that employees are retaining and using the information they need to know in a more effective way.

    1 Storage and Retrieval Strength

    Simply, storage strength and retrieval strength can be defined as:

    • RETRIEVAL – SHORT TERM MEMORY
    • STORAGE – LONG TERM MEMORY

    By testing yourself on information that you need to know quickly and regularly, your retrieval strength will improve. Similarly, testing yourself on information that you need to know but not necessarily all the time over an extended period will enable you to improve your storage strength.

    2 Retention and Contextual Cues

    By reinstating the environment and cues of your original learning when it comes to learning it a second, third or fourth time, you are more likely to retain it long term.

    3 Distributed Learning Techniques

    Innovative methods like microlearning and e-learning are proven to improve retention by allowing individuals to learn in short bursts in a flexible manner.

    4 ‘Learning’ Centred Testing Philosophies

    Testing yourself often is a more effective way of learning than merely recalling information out loud. In addition, giving yourself difficult yet accomplishable tasks to complete will ensure that you are retaining information long term.

    5 Incubation

    By making specific conclusions from generic information and making broad generalisations from specific observations, employees can generate problem-solving solutions.

    6 Percolation

    The Zeigarnik Effect explains how unfinished or interrupted tasks are more likely to be retained at the front of one’s mind, meaning they are more likely to complete tasks and set clear goals. In terms of workplace development, percolation utilises the Zeigarnik Effect to encourage you to think of new solutions to industry problems.

    7 Interleaving

    Interleaving works by delivering relevant information in different orders to ensure that you fully understand its context and can recall it in any given format.

    8 Perceptual discrimination

    Perceptual discrimination works by exposing individuals to new ways of learning the same information in order to ascertain the most effective method. In doing this, it will become optimise specific learning experiences.

  • How contextual cues can improve business banking training programmes

    How contextual cues can improve business banking training programmes

    Business banking training programmes will inherently aim to develop the skills of employees both old and new in order to maintain operations at the highest level.

    In the modern banking sector, however, traditional methods of training are proving to be ineffective in securing a return on investment when compared to newer, innovative techniques.

    In particular, perceptual thinking is now being used by corporations as a method of improving learning retention across an entire hierarchy. At MDA Training, we specialise in utilising perceptual thinking techniques in experiential learning programmes and business banking training courses.

    One area of perceptual thinking that is proven to be effective in improving retention is contextual cues. But what exactly are contextual cues?

    What are contextual cues in workplace training?

    Previously, we have discussed the benefit of contextual cues as part of our wider focus on perceptual thinking in experiential learning programmes.

    More specifically, contextual cues are hints or replications of the environment of original learning. This, in turn, will prompt individuals to retain and recall specific information as they will be familiar with how they learnt it previously.

    Creating contextual cues in the learning environment that can later be reinstated in the application environment, thus aiding learning embedment.

    How can contextual cues be used in business banking training?

    Banking employees have so much information to remember on a continual basis. From understanding specific products and services to working in line with legislation and compliance regulations, it can become difficult to retain everything without an effective learning solution.

    Fortunately, contextual cues work to ensure that employees stand the best chance of recalling information they have previously been given, in three ways:

    Reinstating the actual learning environment

    Even if it’s conducting a training session in the same room as was used previously, or creating a similar environment for employees, they are more likely to become familiar with their surroundings, and more importantly, what they learnt in these surroundings.

    The advantage of this is that when it comes to learning something beneficial a second or third time, employees are more likely to retain it.

    Using the same learning methods

    With so much information on so many topics to retain for individuals in any sub-sector of banking, it can become even more confusing for employees if several learning methods are used to try and develop skills in the same area.

    For example, if a business simulation has been created to work on relationship management skills for bankers, the employees who took part in this will more likely be able to recall the information a year later if another business simulation is created on the same topic, as opposed to another method like a webinar, as they will be more familiar with the original simulation.

    Clustering relevant information together

    Leaders will already have an idea of what they want to prioritise in their business banking training programmes. To get through to employees and resonate key information and KPIs, they can cluster together the most important parts and focus on them throughout.

    Therefore, when it comes to recalling the information down the line, employees will be likely to remember the information they need the most.

    How can contextual cues benefit business leaders?

    As well as proving to be effective for employees, contextual cues will give leaders an indication of how their use of contextual cues is benefiting their business banking training programmes.

    Firstly, they will be able to see whether or not employees are in fact retaining the information they need to, and secondly, they will be able to see which employees are recalling information correctly, and those who aren’t, allowing them to review their internal training processes.

    Business banking training programmes can be difficult to construct and maintain, as there is so much to learn for employees at all levels. Utilising contextual cues as part of a wider focus on perceptual thinking methods, however, can prove to secure a return on investment and improve learning retention throughout the workplace.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE BUSINESS BANKING TRAINING PROGRAMMES WE PROVIDE, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.

  • Perceptual thinking, storage strength and retrieval strength in workplace training programmes

    Perceptual thinking, storage strength and retrieval strength in workplace training programmes

    One of the primary goals for business leaders constructing a workplace training programme for their employees is undoubtedly to improve learning retention.

    Perceptual thinking works to achieve this by breaking down traditional methods of learning in favour of new techniques that aim to maximise how employees receive and retain the information they are given, in various formats.

    One major area of perceptual thinking focuses on the development of storage strength and retrieval strength, which, when mastered, allows individuals to not only be able to recall relevant information, but retain it better. The benefit of this is that businesses can save time and money compared to generic strategies where employees will likely forget information after a certain amount of time.

    But how does storage strength and retrieval strength work? And how can they both be incorporated into workplace training?

    Retrieval strength vs storage strength

    The theory of disuse and retrieval strength vs storage strength was first coined by Robert Bjork, and has widely become a useful method in perceptual thinking, especially in modern workplace training programmes. We’ve outlined how they differ below.

    Retrieval strength

    Retrieval strength focuses on how easily information can be recalled by an individual short term, and is measured by current performance. For example, a high retrieval strength would be remembering the specific platform a train is to arrive at, as this can be recalled easily for a transient period.

    An example of low retrieval strength would be someone recalling the exact platform a train arrived at six months ago, as the individual is not likely to remember this quickly, if at all.

    In regards to workplace training, retrieval strength can be assessed by introducing regular focused learning tests to determine how well employees can recall specific information related to the business short term. This way, leaders will be able to gauge how much relevant data each employee is storing at any given time.

    Storage strength

    As opposed to retrieval strength, storage strength concerns recalling specific information embedded over an extended period. 

    An example of high storage strength would be an individual recalling the postcode from an old address they lived at. Although the information will not be instantly remembered, the individual will be able to eventually recall it as it’s embedded deep in their memory.

    This method of perceptual thinking benefits workplace training courses as leaders will be able to take the information they want their employees to embed long term, and when it comes to re-studying after a specific period of time, it will become clear how well employees are retaining information, allowing leaders to assess how effective their programmes are.

    Perceptual thinking: our approach

    Here at MDA Training, we utilise perceptual thinking methods in our training programmes to provide businesses with bespoke solutions. 

    We believe that employees benefit the most from learning in flexible and active ways. By implementing perceptual thinking methods alongside simulations and workshops specifically tailored to your business, we are able to create an effective training service for your relevant industry. For more on the perceptual thinking methods we use, please read our blog here.

    Making the best use of knowledge along with how employees retain and recall information is improving, and perceptual thinking methods serve to maximise retention in the workplace. By opening up a further analysis of how capable employees are within their roles, leaders can get a clearer indication of performance as well as an enhanced return on investment from their programmes.

    FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE PERCEPTUAL THINKING METHODS WE UTILISE IN OUR WORKPLACE TRAINING PROGRAMMES, CONTACT MDA TRAINING TODAY.