The Learning Brain
A compilation of secondary research on the neuroscience of learning. From the building blocks of knowledge to the effects exercise, diet, and environment have on learning.
Project Overview
How does the brain learn?
What can neuroscience tell us about the ideal conditions for learning? This project explored secondary research on what helps people, both children and adults, learn. It was a foundational knowledge research project to inform many parts of the business, but primarily Steelcase Education. Because the subject matter of the research was how we learn, we focused on applying the insights to the dissemination of the work. We crafted rich, experiential moments including putting a fish bowl over a participant's head to simulate emotion clouding your ability to think.
Approach
Research
+ Secondary research with 20+ sources on the topics of neuroscience, knowledge, memory, and the built environment
Insights Sharing
+ A three-part workshop series including:
• embodied activities so stakeholders could learn the insights using multiple senses.
For example, we asked participants to recite a sentence while tapping different colored paper on the floor with their feet in the correct sequence to demonstrate cognitive overload when learning.
• reflection exercises to move knowledge from short term to long term memory.
Outcomes
We took more than 25 stakeholders through this workshop series, cascading the information into Marketing, Design, and Research. Because the storytelling and sharing of the insights was so compelling, we were asked to share at the equivalent of a internal TED talk at the company.
Learnings
This project presented a prime opportunity to practice what we preach when it comes to how we learn. We invested the time and effort in creating memorable and multi-sensory learning experiences that stayed with our audience far longer than they would have otherwise.
This project also tested our ability to simplify complex content (i.e. neuroscience) so that it was digestible and engaging for our audience.