2. The problem our mobility project is addressing
The future is uncertain, complex and ambiguous, and we know the people who best cope with uncertainty are creative and adaptive people.
Adult education often fails to attract the low-skilled and the low-educated as it resembles schooling and reactivates painful childhood memories for this group of individuals. Due to lower participation in lifelong learning, low-educated and low-skilled adults face a higher risk of unemployment as well as a higher risk of exclusion.
In order to help build a more inclusive society, we think adult education trainers must be taught to address the specific concerns of the low-skilled and the low-educated individuals in order to find new ways of revealing and developing their skills, be they illiterate or not, young or old, disabled or not.
Our 5-day mobility project called “Behavioural and Cognitive Neuroscience Applied to Training” is designed to equip trainers with practical knowledge and strategies in the application of behavioural and cognitive neuroscience discoveries to get learners of any age into a state of mind open to learning and to experimenting new forms of learning.
Being able to tell the difference between intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation and recognizing that what helps one person learn may not help every person learn is important when designing non-formal training tools or learning strategies aiming at:
- encouraging low-skilled and low-educated individuals to enrol in training courses
- learning how to learn
- explaining biases that lead people to stereotype some groups or take irrelevant decisions
- learning how to develop soft skills (creativity, curiosity, emotional intelligence, self-confidence, problem solving, active listening, empathy, questioning, critical thinking, time management, organization, teamwork, ability to express nuanced views, agility, reflective process, etc.)
3. Description of the proposed training
We reflect on innovative models of education, inspiring practitioners and meeting learners where they are.
Discoveries made in recent decades in Cognitive neuroscience help us understand better how the human brain supports thought, perception, affection, action, social process and other aspects of cognition and behaviour. Cognitive neuroscience opens new pathways in the renewal of professional practices needed to adapt to an increasingly complex, faster and interconnected world. Mixing Cognitive neuroscience discoveries with collective intelligence methods and non-formal learning activities can make adult education more relevant and creative.
The purpose of our training is to enable trainers to reconsider their practices by using both new knowledge and expertise in applied cognitive and behavioural neuroscience and various learning activities such as theatre, circus, escape game, and Lego® Serious Play®) in order to stimulate the appropriation of soft skills. Our training will also aim at demonstrating how collective intelligence can be a powerful tool when it comes to designing innovative projects with European partners.
Operational Objectives: Future Impact
- Identifying levers and obstacles to learning and mental modes that promote learnings
- Better adapt training interventions to the specific needs of the learners.
- Stimulating curiosity and agility to fostera more creative and engaging educational practice for all.
- Developing collective intelligence at the service of innovative European partnerships designed to improve learning and creativity of the low-educated and the low-skilled.
Prerequisites: no specific knowledge is required to attend this training as soon as attendees have an experience in training or will start this activity soon
Target audience
Adults educators and youth trainers in schools, high schools, universities involved in the transmission of knowledge, whether theoretical or operational, looking for new ways to help learners with special needs succeed.
Persons with disability or reduced mobility can follow the courses, they are advised to inquire directly with the training centre.
Teaching approach and methods
- engaging and interactive methods, fostering a productive dialogue between participants;
- good balance between theory, practical application of notions and concepts and experience;
- live learning experience focused on the development of professional competencies;
- use of a wide array of tools: Lego® Serious Play®, Circus, Theatre, and indoor serious game to foster interaction, creativity and cooperation between participants and inspire innovation in their future practice;
- sharing and reflecting on each other’s ways of learning and teaching.
The training approach will enable participants to analyze their own training practice and to enrich it with the contributions of cognitive and behavioural neuroscience.
It will bring new teaching methods to life and participants will be given the opportunity to experiment non-formal transmission and training techniques and to explore ways of integrating them in their own training practice once back at home. Behavioural and cognitive neuroscience helps to understand which modes of learning are better suited to learners’ intrinsic needs and characteristics.
Participants will also discover during the training how collective intelligence can help them improve their knowledge on European devices and intercultural exchange and initiate innovative European partnerships.
Preparation for mobility
A program of assistance to the preparation of participants is proposed:
Documents will be posted on an online platform accessible to all registered participants (examples: presentation of theoretical elements on cognitive and behavioral neuroscience, film presenting a working session with students with disabilities in a circus school, recording a co-development session using LEGO tools, ...)
Data will be available 6 weeks BEFORE mobility and 6 weeks AFTER.
An individual interview will be scheduled during the month preceding the mobility with each of the participants, to collect more accurately their expectations and questions.
Mobility Week Program
Day 1: Theory and experience
#Learner and trainer posture with LEARNING as a common goal
Content: Needs, motivations, purpose, for what, how, for whom I learn and / or pass on knowledge
Expected impact: Clarifying the objectives, roles, postures and contract of the trainers and learners
Day 1: Implementation
The circus: a powerful tool in training
Circus schools can help us experiment with the circus's contribution to training. Still, we will implement notions that were addressed in the morning
The body is set in motion, the emotions are projected and the analysis is verbalized to show the positive impacts a better alignment between head, heart and body have on learning.
Given that each person is different, the trainer will ensure an environment where every participant will be able to live experiences and develop his/her creativity safely.
Day 2: Theory and experience
#Neural plasticity: basic mechanisms of learning, memorization, and restitution
Content: Automatic & Adaptive mental modes and their 6 dimensions. Cognitive biases & "bazaars".
Expected impact: Stimulating the levers of learning and memorization, encouraging to stepping out of one’s comfort zone, identifying and breaking down barriers and doing things you didn’t think you could do.
Day 2: Implementation
LegoSeriousPlay ®
We will experiment with the method developed by the LEGO team to get out of the crisis. It will be aligned with the concepts addressed the previous morning on Day 2
The purpose of LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® is to change “lean backwards meetings” to “lean forward meetings”, where the result is more participation, more insights surfaced, more engagement, and more, commitment and faster implementations.
The LEGO® SERIOUS PLAY® method (LSP) is a facilitated thinking, communication and problem-solving technique for use with organizations, teams and individuals. It draws on extensive research from the fields of business, organizational development, psychology and learning, and is based on the concept of "hand knowledge."
The instructions given to participants will focus on ethics in training, fight against corruption, and / or the representation that everyone has of conflicts of interest in training.
Day 3: Theory and experience
# Head / heart / body: a whole cognitive, emotional and behavioural system at the service of learning
Content: The cognitive triangle (thoughts, emotions, behaviours), relational stress management, and the importance of trial and error.
Expected impact: taking into consideration the whole person (trainer or learner) and identifying mechanisms of stress and obstacles to learning will maximize commitment and levers to learning.
Day 3: Implementation
The theatre in training
Experimenting with role-play prepared by our team under the direction of a theatre teacher.
The theatre is a very efficient educational tool. Playing with the inner mechanisms of emotion within a safe, friendly and energy boosting environment, it reinforces learner engagement, comprehension and memorization whatever the entry level of the learners. The aim is to implement through exercises concepts addressed the previous morning on Day 3
Day 4: Theory and experience
#Emotions and motivations
Content: Motivations, notions of pleasure / displeasure, sources of lasting commitment.
Expected impact: Integrating the emotional dimension at play in cognitive and behavioural strategies aiming at boosting attention, concentration and memorization capacities.
Day 4: Implementation
Museum visit
The visit to the Museum will be an opportunity to explore and work on artistic pathways that can lead to magic, questioning and creativity.
Day 5: Theory and practice
#Co-construction and consolidation
Content: Experiences and representations of the 4 pillars of learning. Co-development and design thinking at the service of individual actions.
Expected impact: sharing of experiences and good practices in order to facilitate transfer of knowledge and skills to own practice
#Online co-development solution
Content: Preparation of the online co-development program that will be deployed for 3 months after the mobility
Day 5: Practice and implementation
Collaborative workshop designed to improve knowledge of intercultural exchange and to initiate innovative European partnerships.
An indoor QUIZZ and an online QUIZZ will be offered to evaluate the learnings achieved.
Planning of the training week
Online co-development : The groups identified on the last day of the mobility week will be coached by our trainer to work together on their European project. Three 40-minute online coaching sessions are integrated into the global mobility program over a period of 3 months after the mobility.
Follow-up after mobility
4. Price and material conditions
Price: 1500 € per french participant, 600€ per european participant with MOBILITY ERASMUS+ program (accommodation and meals not included)
This price includes 5-day training, preparation of the mobility on the online shared space,
The 3 co-development sessions online after the mobility are in option.
Training Venue: The “MAISON DES ASSOCIATIONS”, in the centre of TOULOUSE.
We will advise you to choose an accommodation that meets your expectations We will be planning lunches and evening dinners from Monday to Friday, except Wednesday evening and Thursday evening which are free time. All the useful information will be given to you as soon as you confirm your visit.