You’ve probably heard it before: that some people learn best by reading a book, while others have to watch a video to absorb the same information. However, there is reason to question several statements when it comes to learning methods and how we can learn in the most efficient way. Here is a list some of the most common myths.

1. There is only one learning method that suits you

This is perhaps the most persistent myth and several flaws in this claim were addressed already back in 2010 in a research report by Cedar R Reiner and Daniel Willingham. In fact, there are no scientific studies that show you have a learning style that suits you best. Meanwhile, surveys show that as many as 95% of survey respondents in the United States believe that there are specific learning styles that suit us best. The model that is often used as a starting point is called VARK and stands for Visual, Audio, Reading and Kinesthetic.

The research is largely in agreement: whether you think you learn most easily and effectively through visual communication, text, video, or by listening to a lecturer, it’s nowhere near the truth. There is scientific evidence that the use of multiple learning styles in learning gives the best results - that is, if you can combine reading, with visual and interactive learning, you will remember what you have learned best.

2. You learn with the right or left hemisphere of the brain

Another popular myth is that our learning is based on whether our left or right brain is dominant. What is usually said is that the left brain is detail-oriented and more quantitative, while the right tends to focus on creativity and intuitive thinking.

And of course it is true that our different brain hemispheres are good at different things - however, there are various studies that show that we tend to use our brain hemispheres about equally.

3. The 10,000-hour rule

Surely that’s a intriguing thought? That anyone can be good at anything, as long as you spend 10,000 hours practising? This idea is described in the book “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell and also found in the psychologist Anders Ericsson’s research. It is based on the fact that exactly 10,000 hours of practice on one and the same task is enough for you to become the best in the world in a specific field.

However, a Princeton University study found that deliberate practice can only make you successful in areas that are built up by very specific structures where the rules never change, such as tennis, chess or classical music. In almost all other fields, there are other variables to take into account - which means that 10,000 hours in the vast majority of cases is not enough to become the best in the world.

4. Your intelligence is predetermined at birth

We tend to think of intelligence as something you either have or don’t have, and a common myth we want to dispel is that your intelligence quotient (IQ) is predetermined from birth. Namely, a growing body of research shows that our intelligence can, in fact, increase over time. Research by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck shows that our beliefs about intelligence can actually affect our effort, and in turn, our performance. That is, if you believe that you are not intelligent enough to solve a particular problem, the chances of you actually succeeding will decrease.

If you want to know how you can practice your intelligence, there are a lot of different tricks to use. In Armenia, for example, they have introduced chess as a compulsory subject in school. Whether it actually improves the intelligence of students we leave to the future to tell, but surely it is an exciting thought? However, many studies seem to agree that continuous learning has certain effects on intelligence.

5. We only use 10% of our brains capacity

Have you ever heard that we only use 10 percent of our brain capacity? Although this saying makes people think of their untapped potential, it should be considered an analogy, rather than a scientific fact. While it’s true that different parts of our brains have specific functions, that doesn’t mean we don’t use them all at different times. Our brain is responsible for our movement and balance, breathing, heart rate and solving math problems, and not infrequently we use these functions at the same time.

In fact, most of your brain is active almost all the time, even when you sleep. So, while this idea may sometimes motivate participants to perform better, it is not scientifically true.

With these myths about learning behind you, you as an educator can respond to them in the right way and create a platform and environment that is beneficial for your course participants.

In September Moodle HQ organizes a global conference where Moodle enthusiasts from all over the world come together to share ideas, collaborate, and learn from each other. The Sparkfore team attended the event for the first-time last year, and it was a wonderful experience. With more than 800 attendees, there were so many people to meet and have interesting discussions with.

This year’s MoodleMoot Global conference runs from 19-21 September 2023 in Barcelona, Spain. For more information and registration, visit moodlemoot.org/.

Engaging conversations

Last year we held a seminar called Using a DevOps approach to increase Quality, Profitability, and Stability. For us, having a DevOps approach means a holistic view of the Moodle services that we provide. In all key decisions, our senior IT and developers are involved to make sure that we consider every aspect of the services that we provide before doing any development – or planning - of new features. In this presentation, we talk about how we work with planning, development, and deployment to increase quality, stability, and customer satisfaction. We also explain why it takes us less time now to update all customers’ Moodle installations, than it did to update one installation seven years ago. Click here for the full playlist from Moodle Moot 2022.

This year’s program

The provisional program for Moodle Moot 2023 has just been released (please note this is subject to change). Unfortunately, we won’t be doing any presentations this year. Instead we want to share one of the abstracts we submitted that was not accepted. Don’t hesitate to reach out to learn more as we would be happy to tell you more about this story!

Investigating the best way to deliver digital training

What type of digital training is most effective for reaching micro, small and medium sized companies within the agricultural sector in Sweden? This question was formed by the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth and the Rural Economy and Agricultural Societies, Hushållningssällskapet.

In 2023, a project co-funded by the European Union was started, to investigate successful ways of implementing digital knowledge transfer about business development to entrepreneurs in rural areas. At the core of this project, we have Moodle LMS, serving as a knowledge hub providing a framework to increase the target group’s digital maturity. The goal of the project is to develop digital skills that will lead to implementation and increased digitization.

The method used is running multiple “A-B” tests, with the same course content, but the presentation and communication around the courses differs. To carry out these tests, we have created two new features, Elearnspark and Sparkfore Course Messages. The message tool can send out different types of messages (via email or SMS) including module messages to give a subscription-based delivery and a report showing when a message was sent and when the link in the message was clicked. We are releasing parts of these tools as open source.

The tests will be carried out throughout the summer and the beginning of fall. Initial results indicate that the most effective ways of delivering online training to micro, small and medium sized organizations are using the combination of SMS and module messages. Our results will be presented in a formal report in the fall.

Have a great summer!

There has been a lot of talk about AI (artificial intelligence) in connections to learning, but there have not yet been any really good, accessible examples. But as you’ve probably heard — and perhaps tested yourself — ChatGPT (provided by Open AI) can do incredible things.

It is only a matter of time before you as an educator will be affected by the new technology. Here are some suggestions for areas where AI and learning meet.

Producing content

The most obvious application area is using the chat to produce content suggestions. This could, for example, involve asking the chat to suggest an agenda or table of contents for a training, writing factual texts about the subject and/or compiling quiz questions with answer options. You, as a subject expert, of course need to verify that the content is correct, but the chat can radically shorten the time it takes to produce materials and texts.

Question-based exercises

Another area of use is to let the course participants practice their knowledge on the topic by asking questions to the AI chat. It can be questions like can you explain…, can you give examples of…, can you compare…, can you tell me more about… etc. The point of this exercise is to deepen the understanding, by requiring the participant to engage with the topic to be able to ask good questions and that the participant needs to reflect and evaluate the information presented.

Role-playing

The technology isn’t quite available yet, but it is not far off for AI to be used as a counterpart in a fictional role-playing game in order to allow the participant to practice using their newly acquired knowledge. It could, for example, be about trying to convince a potential customer to buy a new product in a sales training course or holding an employee interview in a leadership training course.

Knowledge on demand

When we can effectively feed the AI with information that we know to be reliable, such as our own training materials, legal texts and informative books on the subject, this technology will give the participant an outstanding tool for knowledge on demand. By using training proactively before a work task, combined with an easy way to get qualitative answers to questions on the job, the AI technology will revolutionize the entire training industry.

With Sparkfore, you will continuously have access to new functions that support learning with the help of AI. Stay tuned!

What makes the meeting between the participant and the educator so rewarding? You have probably already realized that while the self-study training is beneficial for reviewing facts and for repetition, the strengths of the instructor-led training are the personal meetings and the social aspects.

A strong training offer includes both parts for self-study and parts together with an instructor. In the text Great opportunities with online learning, we highlighted five advantages of self-study and now it is time to focus on the instructor-led parts.

An educator contributes to a good learning situation by:

Explaining – Humans are made for learning things together with others and few things are as effective as asking questions and having the answer explained by someone knowledgeable on the subject.

Exemplifying – Bringing the topic to life by sharing your own examples, preferably self-experienced, will be memorable to the participant in a completely different way than reading the corresponding information.

Deepening – An instructor can easily move between explaining and deepening the subject corresponding to the target group’s prior knowledge and pre-understanding. This means that the content of the training is dynamically adapted to the needs and thus becomes accurate.

Discussing – During an instructor-led training, participants can be guided and encouraged by an instructor to share experiences that they would not otherwise have shared. By talking about a topic and discussing with others, participants reach a deeper level of knowledge.

Creating relationships – In the meeting between instructor and participant there is a social interaction that builds relationships, creates mutual trust and that can lead to returning customers.

Luckily, you don’t have to choose one format or the other, on the contrary – hybrid is here to stay! In Sparkfore, you can easily post course events, where the participant can book their seat in the webshop, which let you to manage both self-study and instructor-led training in an efficient way. Contact us for more information!

In an instructor-led training, you can easily see the reactions of the participants and change your presentation accordingly. This is not easily done with a self-paced online training, but a course of good quality has its starting point in the people who will participate in it, i.e. the target group. When you plan your course, take a moment to think about what you know about the target group and adapt the training accordingly. Here are three tips on how you can do the target group adaptation.

1. Previous knowledge

What does the target group already know? Is the prior knowledge even or uneven within your intended target group? A good online course covers both these situations. If the person who is going to take the course lacks the necessary prior knowledge, you can insert explanations and links to more information that will help the course participant. If the person who is taking the course already knows the basics about the subject, it is a good idea to offer in-depth information and challenges that allow the course participants to enhance their knowledge.

2. Practical aspects

How will the target group complete the training? Will they be freed from their regular duties for a few hours, or will the course be conducted in parallel with work? A clear structure with short sections creates flexibility that benefits everyone. Do they use a computer, tablet, or mobile phone? Make sure to click through the online training as if you were one of the target groups. Does everything work as it should or do you need to make improvements?

3. Attitude and motivation

What is the target group’s attitude to the subject of the course? How is the target group’s motivation to complete the training? With small, simple means, you can make the subject interesting. Make it concrete by giving examples and describing real situations. Another way to encourage the participants is to ask questions, to let the course participant ponder for a while and then present the answer. Ensure variety in the training, so that the course participant gets to experience diverse types of content, for example texts, images, films, and exercises.

In conclusion, target group adaptation is about changing perspective as well as reviewing the course from the course participant’s situation: What does the target group know about the subject, how do they complete the course and what is the target group’s attitude? With small, simple means, you can ensure that your online course becomes an attractive offer.

Good luck!