Have you maximized your brain’s potential for your biz?
SPEL puts the power back in the hands of the learner…
What is “SPEL” and why is it so useful when adults are learning?
“SPEL” is Self-Paced e-Learning, sometimes called Self-Directed Learning, and has been shown to be one of the most effective and empowering methods of taking in new material for adult learners.
It allows you to direct the speed and direction of the material in a way that best suits you.
So you can focus on the bits that interest you most, need the most time, or are the most relevant, and skip over or move quickly through what isn’t.
#1 – Evidence of Increased Achievement and Efficacy.
There is plenty of research available about how SPEL reduces wasted time for learners and is more efficient, but it’s also more effective as a learning strategy.
If, like me, you’ve ever been the student who was behind, or ahead (ahem, hasn’t that been all of us at one time or another?) it’s easy to imagine why.
When one is behind the pace of the class, missed a lesson, had an issue, or learns differently, as is the case for so many adult learners, it can be really challenging to catch back up without “feeling behind.”
Additionally, when a topic is very easy or so wildly interesting that you can’t wait to learn the next bit, the pace of a class full of people can really slow your momentum.
Nothing is worse than being thrilled to continue, but having that slowing-down sensation rain on your parade of enthusiasm. (Unless it’s that awful feeling of being slower and less bright than everyone else because you just need more time, reflection or explanation).
Studies have shown that college students who were less familiar with a topic had much greater achievement with SPEL than similar students using conventional methods.
Additionally, adults need substantially different learning methods than children, particularly when it comes to agency, autonomy, and being self-directing.
There is also indication that using SPEL improves the retention of new learning as well as memory foundation.
We’ve talked at other times about how the brain records visualization as memory, making it likely that by facilitating one’s own imagined examples and visualizing the new learning on one’s own, the memory pathways are stronger and more personalized than digesting or regurgitating someone else’s.
#2 – More Consistent, Accessible, Customized & Engaging.
In using SPEL, the learning methods can be tailored to suit the individual needs of the learner.
It’s also true that by sharing the same learning content across learners, all learners have equal access to the same content, without penalization for differing or poor delivery of varying instructors.
And every instructor is human – eventually, even the best ones will have a bad or “off day.” SPEL material helps ensure there is no discrepancy across learners taking in the same content.
A SPEL format also places more of the learning burden on the designer of the content, requiring the material to be digestible and accessible for multiple learning styles. Because it needs to be designed in a way that is easy to follow for someone to complete on their own, questions must be considered in advance, material must be clear and concise, and content must be straightforward and clear.
The best learning content will be able to accommodate for kinesthetic, auditory and visual styles and differences.
There will be resources to watch or listen to, activities or worksheets to do, and options to adjust and alter any practice work for unique needs.
A SPEL content arrangement also permits multiple re-visits to content. Watching a video three times until it “clicks,” or reading over material more than once, making notes, perhaps taking some action and then returning to it after a good sleep – all allow for the self-paced learner to imbibe information in the unique way needed for them.
#3 – When You’re “That” Student.
In the video, I share more personally about some of my own experiences as a student – perhaps you can relate.
At times I felt hopelessly behind and felt too shy to raise my hand. I was sure everyone else had “gotten it” and I just hadn’t.
I’ve also come to realize as an adult, some ADHD tendencies which explain a lot about how I’d space out in my younger years, miss a key instruction, then feel like a total idiot when I didn’t know what everyone else was doing.
I also had some difficulty with zonking out in class when there was purely auditory stimulation only, later to realize that the vast majority of people (65%) require a visual stimulus to remain engaged, and another 5% absolutely MUST have kinesthetic bodily engagement or they will zonk (like me).
But on a simpler level, all adults have competing priorities. I reckon that’s the official definition of Adulting.
There are family, health, career, household, and other matters all yanking us in different directions. It’s easier now than ever before to “miss” part of a lesson, instruction or bit of content — if it’s all taught to you live.
#4 – Consider Yourself, Consider Your Clients.
So – CAVEAT:
None of this is intended to suggest that ALL learning should be self-paced, nor that live learning doesn’t offer benefits that SPEL may miss.
However, it’s a gorgeous opportunity for you to reflect on the aspects of learning for both yourself and your lovely clients.
How do YOU learn best? Are you supporting your own learning styles with the types of courses, programs and products you’re buying to enhance your biz & marketing work?
What about your clients? If you offer courses and content as part of your work, are there supportive tools in place for those who need a different pace, are neuro-diverse, have differing learning styles?
There are some easy ways to be more engaging with your content, that cater to the neuroscience of your audience.
While we can’t ever think of EVERYTHING, we can make the effort to be as inclusive, innovative, and supportive as possible – both for clients, and for us!!
Quickie Take-Away
Less than 5 minutes.
Quickly jot down 1-2 aspects of learning style you may want to upgrade, either for yourself, or within your client offerings.
P.S.
Here are some of the tools I use for Marketing and am an affiliate for.
They can help support & simplify your Content Marketing process.
AND if you opt to try one, we may both receive a perk!
- Canva – Craft graphics for Content
- SocialBee – Re-post on socials
- BackBlaze – Backup device files
- Kartra – All-in-1: Emails, Products, Courses
- Infinity – Organize Your Socials Content
- LiveWebinar – Plan & Host Your Webbies
Freebie for You…
Want an even better understanding of differences in client styles? You might enjoy this free tool on Speaking to Decision Styles in Marketing.