Accelerative Learning Defined

Accelerative Learning Defined

Mar 31, 2020 | By David Turberfield

Accelerative Learning Defined

The father of Accelerative Learning (AL) is the Bulgarian psychiatrist Dr. Georgi Lozanov. Dr Lazanov’s initial work in the 1960s was called “Suggestopedia”. He discovered that creating a positive and supportive learning environment that puts people into a state of “relaxed alertness” had a significant impact on learning outcomes (Smith 2006).

 

The History of Accelerative LearningThe History of Accelerative Learning

The father of Accelerative Learning (AL) is the Bulgarian psychiatrist Dr. Georgi Lozanov. Dr Lazanov’s initial work in the 1960s was called “Suggestopedia”. He discovered that creating a positive and supportive learning environment that puts people into a state of “relaxed alertness” had a significant impact on learning outcomes (Smith 2006).

Dr.Lazonov’s work was built upon by Dr. Evelyn Gateva with Curriculum and Instructional Design; Libyan Labiosa Cassone who coined the term Accelerative Learning; Professor Stephen Krashen with Language Acquisition; Dr. Roger Sperry’s brain research (awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine in 1981); Professor Howard Gardner with Multiple Intelligences; Professor Marian Diamond and the Enriched Learning Environment and Professor James Asher with Total Physical Response.

Other contributions over the years have included Tony Buzan’s work on memory, Brandler and Grinder’s work on Neuro-Linguistic Programming, Czikszentmihalyi’s work on human fulfilment and flow among many others.

It is a long lineage of research bringing AL to the powerful multi-method, multimedia learning technique that it is today.

 

How is Accelerative Learning defined?

Accelerative Learning, also known as Accelerated Learning in the corporate world, is defined as “a method of instruction that provides an atmosphere where students are able to absorb and retain concepts by overcoming traditional barriers of learning” (McKeon 1995). It is a combination of neuroscience, cognitive psychology and instructional design which involves training facilitators, creating content and developing material (Labiosa 1996).

What are the principles of Accelerative Learning?

So how does it work? AL training is designed and delivered around a number of key principles which can be summarised as follows (CAL 2019):

  1. Learning involves the whole of the body and mind

    The learning approach is designed to engage the learner’s body, senses, creativity and emotions and not just the “head” centred rational and verbal consciousness.

  2. Learning is created and not consumed

    The learner actively creates knowledge as opposed to absorbing it. This is not a passive process of sitting and listening but an active process of integrating new knowledge and skills into the learners existing structure of self.

  3. Collaboration facilitates learning

    Research indicates that creating competition between learners slows learning down whereas creating collaboration speeds it up. People often learn more by interacting with peers than by any other means. Creating collaboration is a central tenet of any AL program.

  4. Learning takes place on many different levels simultaneously

    The brain does not work sequentially, in a linear way but is a parallel processor which thrives when challenged to do many things at once. AL engages people on many different levels simultaneously; using all the receptors, senses and pathway it can to bring the learning into the person’s full brain and body system.

  5. Learning comes from doing and feedback

    Information learned in isolation, without a frame of reference, is quickly forgotten. By ensuring Immediate practical application of knowledge, or learning by doing, AL provides the brain with the context and frame of reference for long term retention. AL also provides time for immersion, feedback, reflection and re-immersion to lock learning in.

  6. Positive emotions greatly improve learning

    Learning that is associated with negative emotional states such as stress, frustration, discomfort or boredom is quickly left behind. By actively creating feelings of relaxation, fun and engagement, AL creates a higher quality of learning and retention.

  7. The image brain absorbs information instantly and automatically

    The human nervous system is a far more powerful image processor than it is a word processor. Images are easier to process, understand and retain than verbal abstractions. By translating verbal content into images of all kinds, AL makes training content faster to learn and easier to remember.

    By embedding these seven principles into an accelerative learning program, course designers are able to create learning events that activity engage learners in the learning process, significantly increasing memory and retention in learning.