Robert Mellor Senior Lecturer & Program Manager UTS Centre for Local Government University of Technology Sydney,Australia

What is this all about ? this about helping people to learn this is about helping you to be more creative and innovative in the way that you “teach” and “train” this is about having fun and being relaxed this is about helping local government staff be more innovative in the way they work

What are the rules ? have fun! don’t be afraid to take a risk no-one is going to look stupid relax enjoy yourself join in with the group don’t worry - you can’t fail !

What are WE GOING TO DO ? For the next few days, we are going to: look at different ways of learning learn a framework that helps us design training that is innovative do lots of practical examples explore different techniques learn together as a group- learn from each other

Give a man a fish and you feed him for one day... WHY ?..help him learn to fish and you feed him for life

I see and I remember I hear and I forget I do and I understand WHY ?

We need to build on people’s experience

The first thing you really enjoyed learning HOW DID YOU LEARN? THINK ABOUT…. ?

The time you really DID NOT enjoy learning Why DID YOU NOT LEARN? THINK ABOUT…. ?

to be good teachers - the first thing we should do is stop teaching and help people to learn we should realise that our collective knowledge and skills are far more powerful than just us “being the experts” to help make it more fun and enjoyable (for all of us) - make people feel good to help prepare people for (vital) creative problem-solving in the future to help our learners get better outcomes to help people learn how to learn because it works! WHY ?

Learning for the Future… in the past we learned from the past.. now we must learn for the future. To learn for the future we must help people learn: INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION IDEAS AND INNOVATION HOW TO INTERPRET NEW INFORMATION ( Bellanca & Fogarty,1992) WHY ?

Learning for the Future… INTERPERSONAL INTERACTION our world is growing more diverse it is full of all sorts of different people we must help people to learn how to interact with different people we must help people to interact in different ways we must help people to learn from each other in different ways WHY ?

Learning for the Future… IDEAS AND INNOVATION we must help people learn how to deal with new information and ideas information is changing so rapidly, we must help people learn through change we must encourage people to have new ideas and develop them we must help people learn using all their learning skills WHY ?

Learning for the Future… HOW TO INTERPRET NEW INFORMATION we must help people learn what is useful from the past we must help people to learn to make good choices we must help people to learn problem-solving we must help people to be creative we must help people to deal with conflict WHY ?

Because people learn in all sorts of different ways:

Background ? In the early 1960s, Roger Sperry, a psychologist in the USA, performed some experiments. He discovered that the brain is separated into two halves - two separate hemispheres. LEFT BRAIN & RIGHT BRAIN He found that each side of the brain has different roles and functions.

Background ? LEFT BRAIN, RIGHT BRAIN & “REPTILLIAN” BRAIN He found that each side of the brain has different roles and functions. At the back of the brain, close to the neck and spine, is the “reptillean” brain - which controls very basic thought processes

Background ? LEFT BRAIN & RIGHT BRAIN Left Brain Language, logic,numbers, sequence, details, linear, symbols, judgement

Background ? LEFT BRAIN & RIGHT BRAIN Right Brain images, rhythm, music, imagination, colour, look at the whole picture, patterns, emotions, non-judgmental.

Background ? The left Brain and the right Brain work together - they are not competition with each other. Being innovative and creative depends on us using and exercising both sides of the brain LEFT BRAIN & RIGHT BRAIN Working Together!

Background ? Since then, a number of psychologists and learning specialist have identified a number of learning intelligences - different ways in which we learn: Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic

Background ? Since then, a number of psychologists and learning specialist have identified a number of learning intelligences - different ways in which we learn: Linguistic Working with words reading, crosswords, word-games telling stories arguments/debates/discussions listen to radio or audio cassettes

Background ? Logical/Mathematical working with numbers - maths doing budgets and accounts step-by-step, logical putting things in logical groups -order planning and putting in detail - timetables liking science, chemistry, maths, engineering

Background ? Visual/Spatial enjoy art, films, television photography, drawing, video draw pictures for notes - “doodles” like pictures, diagrams and graphs see how “things might look” imagination like jigsaw puzzles

Background ? Bodily/Kinesthetic enjoy sport and physical exercise good at craft and building things like dancing, games, playing with children use hand gestures and touch like to feel things aware of your physical surroundings

Background ? Musical playing a musical instrument, singing understand rhythm and patterns follow the “sound of music” can see images when music plays good at languages good memory for sounds

Background ? Interpersonal working with others -team team sports, groups etc communicate well talking and sharing treat others as friends

Background ? Intrapersonal think on your own strong values and beliefs prefer to learn on your own relate it to “you”

Background ? Naturalisitic good with animals good at gardening -growing things fishing natural things -stars, rocks, animals act on “feelings”

Background ? So, how do we develop a system of learning that uses both the the LEFT & RIGHT brain ? And how do we develop a system of learning that encourages all of the learning styles or intelligences ? Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic

Background ? We are going to use system developed by an American teacher: BERNICE McCARTHY…. It is called the 4-MAT system Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Type 2 WHAT? Type 3 HOW? Type 4 WHAT If? RB LB RB LB

Background ? The 4-MAT system: helps us to plan and design our learning experiences (“lessons” and “training workshops”) reminds us to include both the right and the left side of the brain reminds us to explore all of the learning intelligences gives us a format (4-mat) or “recipe” for how to design learning experiences

Lets start….. Early experiments by DAVID KOLB (1974) Showed us that there were 4 types of learners (like the different learning intelligences) Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 Type 2Type 3 Type 4

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing AWARENESS - I become aware that something is happening that I am interested in PERSONAL - I take in your information and I think how it may effect me. Tell me more about some people like me COLLABORATION - let me share and talk with others about how we will use this in the future MANAGEMENT _ show me how I can manage this information and use it. INFORMATIONAL - give me little bit more information about what I am seeing/feeling RE-FOCUSING - let me think about this new things and decide how to use it in the future Lets start…..

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Type 2 WHAT? Type 3 HOW? Type 4 WHAT If? Create an experience that engages personal meaning Analyse the experience Use the experience to set questions for more knowledge Provide detailed information and knowledge Share the learning with others Analyse the results Adapt and experiment Try it out -guided -like a “recipe” RB LB RB LB Lets start…..

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Create an experience that engages personal meaning Analyse the experience RB LB Lets do it

Some Activities that could be used for Type 1 Motivational Stories, Songs and Poems Simulations, Games, Exercises, Dance Discussions, Drama, Theatre Role Playing, Debate Movies, videos, Audio tapes, Music Painting, Drawing Food, cooking, Smells. Field trips, walking, touching Simulations, demonstrations

Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Lets do it

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Type 2 WHAT? Create an experience that engages personal meaning Analyse the experience Use the experience to set questions for more knowledge Provide detailed information and knowledge RB LB Lets do it

Some Activities that could be used for Type 2 Formal lecture Lecture with visual aides Lecture with notes and exercises Reading assignments and homework Example problems Seminar or conference Instructional Video or CD Rom Handouts and information sheets

Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Lets do it

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Type 2 WHAT? Type 3 HOW? Create an experience that engages personal meaning Analyse the experience Use the experience to set questions for more knowledge Provide detailed information and knowledge Adapt and experiment Try it out -guided -like a “recipe” RB LB RB LB Lets do it

Some Activities that could be used for Type 3 Workshop style Laboratory experiments Practical exercises Site visits, field trips, case studies Computer simulations Objective exams Example problems with workshop tasks Physical exercises, trials, tasks Real-life simulations Exams and tests Hands-on exercises

Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Lets do it

4-MAT Watching Sensing/feeling Thinking Doing Type 1 WHY? Type 2 WHAT? Type 3 HOW? Type 4 WHAT If? Create an experience that engages personal meaning Analyse the experience Use the experience to set questions for more knowledge Provide detailed information and knowledge Share the learning with others Analyse the results Adapt and experiment Try it out -guided -like a “recipe” RB LB RB LB Lets do it

Some Activities that could be used for Type 4 Open-ended problems Problems prepared by learners design projects Group exercises Action plans Presentations and Learner Demonstrations Subjective exams or Competitions Group reflective thinking Think tanks, brainstorming sessions Group project reports Drama, Songs, Plays

Linguistic Logical/Mathematical Visual/Spatial Bodily/Kinesthetic Musical Interpersonal Intrapersonal Naturalistic Lets do it

Reading Some books you might like to read: Bernice McCarthy - 4Mat - 4Mat in Action Colin Rose- Accelerated Learning David Kolb- The learning Sstyle Inventory Ronald Schmeck- Learning Styles and Learning Strategies

Background ? Some websites you might like to visit: