Featured Research: Skillsoft and MIT Launch Research Initiative on the Science of Learning
Phase 1 results correlate a “Growth Mindset” with a greater capacity to learn new skills
Posted on 10-31-2018, Read Time: Min
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Have you ever wondered what makes one instructional video interesting and another not so much? How can we make learning “stick” for our employees?
As the leading global provider of eLearning, this naturally intrigues the learning specialists at Skillsoft. To approach this challenge, Skillsoft and Accenture are sponsoring a neuroscience research initiative with MIT. The goal of this research is to scientifically validate which instructional design methodologies have the greatest impact on the effectiveness of video-based instruction.
There are three phases of the research:
- Phase I surveyed and evaluated learners who consumed instructional content using six different instructional scenarios. The survey gathered learner reaction to the video, a brief personality profile (growth mindset, etc.) of the participants, and a targeted knowledge assessment.
- Phase II includes brain scans of study participants as they engage with the sample learning content in the neuroscience lab at MIT.
- Phase III will involve brain scans of participants as they consume learning content amid the distractions in the workplace.
During Phase I, the research team conducted a rigorous evaluation of six different video instruction strategies within the subject areas of both Business Skills and IT. The instructional strategies, or “interest factors,” included the following:
1. Instructor-led Baseline: The baseline video, against which all others were measured, featured an instructor, on camera, delivering the material in lecture form.
2. Scenario-based: In this video, Skillsoft’s scenario-based, role-play video was used for testing purposes.
3. Pre-Test: Learners started the instructional video with a pre-test.
4. Interpolated Quiz: Learners took quizzes that were woven into the instructional video.
5. Course Outline: The instructional video started with an outline of the video course content.
6. Social Shares: Researchers altered the number of “likes” and social shares of the video example to understand if peer recommendations stimulate interest in the video.
In each case, one Business Skills training video (The Art & Science of Communication – introductory level content) and one IT video (T-SQL – content which requires some level of SQL competency) were used to study the effectiveness of the instruction. With the participation of more than 700 Accenture employees, researchers completed Phase I in the spring of 2018.
Phase I revealed several intriguing results:
- For the Business Skills example, the instructor-led video treatment proved to be the least interesting approach. Instructional strategies, such as introducing an interactive outline, as well as presenting the content within a scenario-based format, materially improved the overall learner interest.
- For the Business Skills example, the presence of a growth mindset directly correlated to the expressed level of interest in the video and improved performance on the final assessment. Interestingly, this turned out to be more of an influencer than the selected instructional strategy. Participants who exhibited “grit” also found the videos to be more interesting.
- For the IT content, there was no direct correlation between the instructional strategies and the interest learners expressed in the video. However, when looking at the subset of IT video participants who rated themselves as less familiar with the content (1-3 out of 5), there was a positive correlation between their expressed level of interest and the outcome of the final assessment.
- For the IT example, participants in the pre-test instructional strategy had significantly higher exit scores than participants in the baseline. Interest positively correlated with “grit” and “growth mindset” overall. “Growth mindset” positively correlated with exit scores in the course outline and interpolated quiz instructional strategies, but not with any other IT interventions. This again suggests that the presence of a “growth mindset” can influence the performance of the learner.
What Practical Insights Might We Draw From These Initial Findings?
For Business Skills, the treatment and design of the video materially influence the expressed level of engagement by the learner.
Simply delivering an instructor lecture on camera, interspersed with bulleted concepts, is the least engaging way to present critical business skills content. The findings suggest that learners crave a storyline, a narrative, and some degree of self-directed, progressive disclosure of the concepts. While buyers are drawn to “instructor-driven” videos, they may compromise the engagement of the learning.
Simply delivering an instructor lecture on camera, interspersed with bulleted concepts, is the least engaging way to present critical business skills content. The findings suggest that learners crave a storyline, a narrative, and some degree of self-directed, progressive disclosure of the concepts. While buyers are drawn to “instructor-driven” videos, they may compromise the engagement of the learning.
For IT Instruction, Substance and Depth Prevail
For IT instruction, recommending the appropriate level of instruction is critical to overall cognitive engagement. This is a fairly intuitive concept. One would expect those who already know the subject matter of the video to find it less appealing than those who are filling in gaps in their knowledge. However, this finding may suggest something even more profound: IT learners crave depth and richness of the instruction to fill self-perceived skill gaps. When considering the relative indifference to the instructional strategy, the research implies that substance and depth prevail. IT audiences may value learning modalities beyond video alone, such as digital books, to provide deeper context.
Mindset Is Paramount
Regardless of the subject matter, a learner’s mindset (“growth mindset” vs. “fixed mindset”) is ultimately the greatest determinant of success. Again, this is a relatively intuitive concept. If a learner is motivated and believes they can learn, then they are more likely to learn. Much of Carol Dweck’s research centered on this very point. However, the more provocative question is whether a growth mindset is something that can be instilled at scale. Said differently, if leaders can effectively influence or change one’s mindset to turn their organizations into hyper-learning machines, then this may yield the most significant impact on learning effectiveness.
What Questions are Next?
- Can we materially influence a learner’s mindset, so that they become better learners?
- Can we scientifically validate that their level of engagement is improved, as evidenced by an EEG signature?
In the coming months, Skillsoft and Accenture will be in the lab at MIT working to understand this. They have jointly developed a “growth mindset” intervention, which they will test in the lab. Fully understanding this dynamic could lead to one of the most profound breakthroughs in digital learning design in recent years.
Watch the video about Skillsoft and MIT’s research study, and learn more about Skillsoft’s Leadership Development Program – the only leadership training based on brain science.
Author Bios
| Heide Abelli is the SVP of Content Product Management at Skillsoft. Connect Heide Abelli Visit www.skillsoft.com |
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| Mark Onisk is the Chief Content Officer at Skillsoft. Connect Mark Onisk Follow @Skillsoft |
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