Notes

You: A Lifelong Learner

1. D. Eagleman, Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain (New York: Pantheon, 2011).

1 Your Learning Brain

1. Plato, “The Allegory of the Cave,” The Republic, Book VII.

2. D. Eagleman, The Brain: The Story of You (New York: Pantheon), 793.

3. According to Jerry W. Rudy, in The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory (2014), there are five overlapping stages in how a neuron changes: An impulse comes to a neuron and destabilizes its current structure. Then after about 15 minutes, calcium comes in and works with other chemicals to temporarily rebuild and reorganize things (at this point what you are learning is in your short-term memory). In some cases, the change continues, with more calcium coming in. New proteins are generated and the modified neuron content begins to stabilize. If the stimulation is strong enough, the memory consolidates and is tagged for retrieval (i.e., it becomes a long-term memory). Some neurons become very stable and resist change even when you want to change (i.e., they support enduring habits).

4. Sebastian Seung introduced the term connectome in a 2010 TED Talk, and then published the concept in a 2013 book, Connectome: How the Brain’s Wiring Makes Us Who We Are.

5. The word hippocampus comes from the Greek hippo meaning “horse” and kampos meaning “sea monster.”

6. C. Koch, “Neuronal Superhub May Generate Consciousness,” Scientific American, November 2014.

7. J. J. Ratey and M.D. Spark. The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (New York: Little Brown, 2008).

8. Psychologists and economists are very interested in dual process views of human mental functioning. What this book calls automatic and conscious processing, others, like psychologist Keith Stanovich and Richard West, call System 1 and System 2 or Type 1 and Type 2 processes. Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist who won the Nobel Prize in economics, talks about our ability to think fast (automatic) and slow (conscious).

9. This quite apt description of how your brain works on automatic appears in Eagleman, Incognito.

10. Various arguments for longer sleep appear in T. Doyle and T. Zakrajsek, The New Science of Learning: How to Learn in Harmony With Your Brain. (Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2013).

2 Your Self Who Learns

1. In the early part of the 20th century, psychoanalysts like Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung brought a new awareness of the human inner world into the relatively new field of psychology. We now know much more about the internal forces, drives, needs, and factors that influence human behavior and learning.

2. C.G. Jung and M.L. Von Franz, Man and His Symbols (New York: Laurel, 1964).

3. Joseph Campbell introduced the concept of the hero’s journey in his book, The Hero With a Thousand Faces. It presents the stages we go through when we learn something: There is a call to adventure that the hero must accept. The hero then moves into the unknown, where she experiences challenges, dangers, and uncertainties. Various helpers come along to offer support (which may be accepted). There are various trials and hurdles that the hero must deal with to earn personal growth. Ultimately, the hero changes and grows in some way. The final challenge is to bring the new insights back into the world. This general adventure pattern informs many of the practices in learning 4.0.

4. Many psychologists believe Campbell’s description of the hero’s journey has more masculine than feminine overtones because it is generally drawn from epic adventures about someone who was born into power (e.g., Odysseus was born to be a king) and then conquers external challenges to prove he is worthy of his birthright. Psychologists like Maureen Murdock (1990) and Clarissa Pinkola-Estes (2003) present an alternative view that draws from fairy tales, myths, and traditional stories. This alternative view of the heroine’s journey focuses more on internal journeys—growth that happens when a person is shut off from the outside world (e.g., in a tower, in a long sleep, or while being held back by wicked stepsisters). Both perspectives are useful when you think about your own learning journey.

5. The concept of archetypes was introduced by Carl Jung to help describe psychological instincts that are part of the human evolutionary heritage.

6. Abraham Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is one of the most enduring theories in psychology. While he originally identified five levels of need, he later determined that there was a higher, more spiritual, contribution-oriented need beyond self-actualization. He defined it as service to others, to a cause, or to an ideal, and called it “self-transcendence.” When you read about Kegan’s work in this chapter, note that his highest level of consciousness is similar.

7. E. Erikson, Identity and the Life Cycle (London: Norton, 1964).

8. R. Kegan, The Evolving Self: Problem and Process in Human Development (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982).

9. To learn more about fixed and growth mindset, see C. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. For the first writing on external and internal locus of control, see J.B. Rotter, “Generalized Expectancies for Internal Versus External Control of Reinforcement,” Psychological Monographs: General & Applied 80(1): 1-28.

3 The Fast-Changing World

1. R. Kurzweil, “The Law of Accelerating Returns,” Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence, March 7, 2001.

2. Kurzweil, “The Law of Accelerating Returns,” 2001.

4 The Information Field

1. B.J. Fogg of Stanford, quoted in Ian Leslie, “The Scientists Who Make Apps Addictive,” The Economist, October-November 2016, 67-71.

5 Hear the Call to Learn

1. Learn more about the role of your shadow in chapter 2.

2. Strengthen your learning fitness at www.learning40.com/unstoppable.

3. Self-talk is a major force in our lives. It helps shape thinking, self-confidence, and sense of power. It can be a major asset in learning when it focuses on shaping goals, recalling information, and more. Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Leahy’s book How We Talk Can Change the Way We Work: Seven Languages for Transformation suggests ways to talk to yourself and to others. These are relevant to 4.0 thinking and learning.

6 Create Future-Pull

1. R. Fritz, Your Life as Art (Newfane, VT: Newfane Press, 2003), 1. Fritz is a musician and filmmaker who has worked extensively with behavioral scientists and artists. He writes about the impact of the creative tension between a goal and reality, which he calls “structural imprinting.”

2. Technically, virtual reality depends on computers, headsets, and other technology to create a multisensory simulation you experience as “real.” But you have the power to use your brain’s imaging powers (imagination) to do the same thing. When you create your own virtual reality projection, you actively program yourself to move in the direction you desire. It’s a very powerful self-management and learning method.

3. R. Fritz, The Path of Least Resistance: Principles for Creating What You Want to Create. (New York: Ballantine Books, 1989).

4. S.R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1989).

5. Read more about the power of future-pull in Fritz, Canfield, and Mackey—all listed in the references.

6. Chapter 1 describes your automatic system in more detail.

7 Search

1. C.S. Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success (New York: Ballantine, 2006).

8 Connect the Dots

1. N. Kaya and H. Epps, “Relationship Between Color and Emotion: A Study of College Students,” College Student Journal 38(3), 2004.

2. F. Moss, L.M. Ward, and W.G. Sannita, “Stochastic Resonance and Sensory Information Processing: A Tutorial and Review of Application,” Clinical Neurophysiology, 115(2), 2004, 267-281.

9 Mine for Gold

1. Moss, Ward, and Sannita, “Stochastic Resonance and Sensory Information Processing,” 267-281.

2. J.J. Ratey, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain (New York: Little Brown, 2008).

3. B. Ziegarnik, “On Finished and Unfinished Tasks,” in W.D. Ellis (ed.), A Sourcebook of Gestalt Psychology (New York: Humanities Press, 1967).

4. J. Medina, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School, 2nd ed. (Seattle: Pear Press, 2014), 103-124.

5. S. Kotler, The Rise of Superman: Decoding the Science of Ultimate Human Performance (New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2014).

6. M. J. Bresciani-Ludvik, ed., The Neuroscience of Learning and Development: Enhancing Creativity, Compassion, Critical Thinking, and Peace in Higher Education (Sterling, VA: Stylus Publishing, 2016), 187.

7. For more information, I recommend taking a quick look at the discussion on the Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries website of how to evaluate information, http://guides.library.jhu.edu/evaluatinginformation.

8. The movie Sully was directed and produced by Clint Eastwood (Warner Brothers, 2016).

9. R.R. West, R.J. Meserve, and K.E. Stanovich, “Cognitive Sophistication Does Not Attenuate Bias Blind Spots,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 103(3), 2012: 506-519.

10 Learn to Last

1. Eagleman, Incognito.

2. I. Wilhelm et al., “Sleep Selectively Enhances Memory Expected to Be of Future Relevance,” Journal of Neuroscience 31(5), 2011: 1563-1569.

3. Ziegarnik, “On Finished and Unfinished Tasks.”

4. N.J. Cepeda, E. Vul, and D. Rohrer, “Spacing Effects in Learning: A Temporal Ridgeline of Optimal Retention,” Psychological Science, 11, 2008: 1095-1102. H.P. Bahrick et al., “Maintenance of Foreign Language Vocabulary and the Spacing Effect,” Psychological Science 4(5), 1993: 316-321.

5. S. Pan, “The Interleaving Effect: Mixing It Up Boosts Learning,” Scientific American, August 4, 2015.

6. Rudy, The Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, 237.

7. J.D. Novak and A.J. Canas, “The Theory Underlying Concept Maps and How to Construct and Use Them,” Technical Report IHMC CmapTools (2006-01, Rev. 2008-01, Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, Pensacola Florida). T. Buzan, Mind Map Handbook: The Ultimate Thinking Tool (New York: HarperCollins), 2004.

8. H. Roediger III and J.D. Karpicke, “The Power of Testing Memory: Basic Research and Implications for Educational Practice,” Perspectives on Psychological Science 1(181), 2006.

9. J. Mezirow, Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 1990).

10. Roediger’s astounding research into the “testing” effect points out the power of a pretest where you guess key points before you learn, even when you have no preknowledge. Then test yourself afterward. The memory impact is significant! H. Roediger and J.D. Karpicke, “The Power of Testing Memory.”

11. K. Taylor and C. Marienau, Facilitating Learning With the Adult Brain in Mind (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2016), 217.

12. E. Kubler-Ross, On Death and Dying (London: Macmillan, 1974).

13. D. Schon, The Reflective Practitioner: How Professionals Think in Action (New York: Basic Books, 1983).

14. P. J. Kellman and C.M. Massey, “Perceptual Learning, Cognition, and Expertise,” Psychology of Learning and Motivation 58, 2013: 117-165.

15. Values, beliefs, attitudes, and intentions are all terms that operate as personal decision criteria and perception filters. I use beliefs or attitudes for short. An excellent and respected source of research and ideas about this important affective area is M. Fishbein and I. Ajzen, Belief, Attitude, Intention and Behavior: An Introduction to Theory and Research (Boston: Addison-Wesley, 1975).

16. M.L. von Franz, “The Process of Individuation,” in C.G. Jung, ed., Man and His Symbols (New York: Laurel, 1964).

11 Transfer to Life

1. Kurt Lewin, an early leader in the arena of human systems change, introduced the idea of force-field analysis in 1943. It remains one of the best ways to think about and plan to influence the many factors that affect whether or not you will use what you have learned.

2. Sinah Goode, quoted in B. Carey, How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where, and Why It Happens (New York: Random House, 2014), 154-155.

12 Being a Lifelong 4.0 Learner

1. Ian Leslie’s book Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It (New York: Basic Books, 2014) is a great exploration of this vital topic.

14 Helping Others Learn

1. A. Tough, The Adult’s Learning Projects: A Fresh Approach to Theory and Practice in Adult Learning (Ontario: Ontario Institute for Studies in Education, 1971).

Tool 5 Resource-Specific Learning Tips

1. Thank you to Magdalena Mook, executive director and CEO, International Coach Federation, and Randy Emelo, founder and chief strategist, River, and author of Modern Mentoring (ATD Press, 2015), for their contributions to this section.

2. Thank you to Cammy Bean, author of The Accidental Instructional Designer: Learning Design for the Digital Age (ASTD Press, 2013), for her contributions to this section.

3. Thank you to Sharon Boller, co-author of Play to Learn: Everything You Need to Know About Designing Effective Learning Games (ATD Press, 2017), for her contributions to this section.

4. Thank you to Dawn Mahoney, Learning in the White Space (www.dawnjmahoney.com), for her insights about learning in lectures and presentations.

5. Thank you to Matt Pierce, instructional designer and media producer, TechSmith Corporation, and Jonathan Halls, author of Rapid Video Development for Trainers (ASTD Press, 2012) and Rapid Media Development for Trainers (ATD Press, 2017), for their insights about how to learn from podcasts.

6. Thank you to Matt Pierce, instructional designer and media producer, TechSmith Corporation, and Jonathan Halls, author of Rapid Video Development for Trainers (ASTD Press, 2012) and Rapid Media Development for Trainers (ATD Press, 2017), for their insights about how to learn from videos and YouTube.