Food for Thought

Yesterday in a business meeting with a strategic partner, the conversation turned to restaurants – turns out this guy knows every yummy place in the city! Finally, I thought, I can find a great Chinese place. I’ve been searching for six years (not with great ambition) to find a fresh, not too oily, authentic Chinese restaurant.

So he recommends a great place, and I decide to test my cognitive association tricks. The name is Golden Horse.  Just so happens there is a gold light fixture at our table – good, got it. Next the horse part. Well, "horse" rhymes with "course" and I just finished the first course of my meal. Crazy association, but you know what?... three days later I still know the name of the restaurant.

Here’s why it worked:

1. I am emotionally connected to the outcome (I want to eat yummy Chinese food).
2. He described a delicious meal that got me salivating - physical connection.
3. I applied a cognitive association technique to remember the name: Gold Lamp Course... I mean Golden Horse!

** UPDATE** Finally got to the Golden Horse for lunch today (1/29/10) - simple atmosphere - great food.

The Impact of Emotion on Learning

by Shannon McKenzie

I was a great student up until the third grade when a negative experience with a teacher had a tremendous emotional impact on me. From that point on I slipped further and further behind in math and it wasn't until many years later, with one-on-one coaching, that I learned how I learn. As an adult educator I am motivated to create positive learning experiences for program participants by ensuring that the individual learning style is supported.

Although it is known that long-term or chronic stress can affect the brain’s learning and memory region, a study by UC Irvine researchers has discovered that short-term stress, lasting as little as a few hours, can impair brain-cell communication (memory). 

IdeaLearning Group programs strive to create safe, positive emotional experiences and minimize negative stress in learning.

Stories of informal leaders sought

Are you or someone you know a leader but not in a formal leadership role? IdeaLearning Group is collecting stories to include in a book. We would love to hear form you! Email hello@idealearninggroup.com

Case Study: Coaxis – Software Development Training

IdeaLearning Group partnered with Coaxis to create a custom series of software management and development training courses. Coaxis serves the US and international construction industry, with headquarters in Portland, Oregon. The company is rapidly growing with an expanding customer base. Viewpoint Construction Software, a division of Coaxis, is currently the fastest growing construction accounting software provider in the construction industry.
Coaxis needed a way to quickly ramp up employees on technical skills to avoid a revenue bottleneck and to keep up with demand. Needing a “SWAT team” approach to training, Coaxis hired IdeaLearning Group to address their needs quickly and efficiently.
We got to work right away creating two key technical training programs, which included elearning, job aids, and classroom materials, with built-in mentoring opportunities and assessments. We were able to start with zero content and developed a full-fledged training program within 90 days. The result was impressive: a 50% reduction in ramp-up time and an increase in experts dedicated to revenue-generating technical services.
The first project involved creating database training for Viewpoint Construction Software. The material focused on interpreting data in key tables, finding information and resources, and identifying naming conventions and patterns in various tables. We also created a custom user guide to supplement the training, which Coaxis employees and contractors describe as an invaluable resource. The entirely self-paced training is widely applicable across the company. Overwhelmingly positive feedback flowed in from all over the company following its rollout.

Our next project focused on data conversion and was intended for a much more specialized audience. Our training goals were to explore the process of data conversion, review key tasks, and to emphasize the importance of mentor/mentee relationships in supporting ongoing development. The pilot session received extremely positive feedback, and attendees reported highly valuing the materials.
Although IdeaLearning Group was new to the construction software industry, we attribute our great success in both programs to the effective partnership we built with Coaxis subject matter experts and our ability to conceptualize and execute the technical training based on solid instructional design principles.