Time for Action: Battling Misinformation Spread by The Learning and Development Industry

Well folks, here we go again.  Another article from a large influential publication in our industry spreading inaccurate science to the masses.  This has been a long-standing problem in our industry, and the world at large really, that needs to be taken much more seriously.  

Why do I care? Well, I’ve dedicated my career to being a science translator as well as a scientific learning designer who is adamant in my belief that we can evolve the way we are as human learners, and human beings through our understanding of our brains and how we operate.  

Having learned, worked, and collaborated with several neuroscientists around the globe, and humbly earned their respect and trust, I also have been honored with a deeper understanding of their worlds and the immense dedication it takes to do what they do.   It is no small feat and should be given the respect it deserves.

So to see their efforts bastardized because of someones misunderstanding/interpretations who hasn’t done their due diligence or is using neurobabble for the purposes of unethical marketing is immensely disrespectful.  

Without doing our part to bring this to the attention of these authorities and the general public, we’re going to see the same perpetuation of myth and inaccuracies continue to infect what we do.  So let this be a learning moment, one where we all grow for the betterment of learning.

I’m going to skip the part where I introduce myself and get right down to business.  Once again, I’m going to reiterate to anyone reading this, this isn’t a witch hunt, this is learning and advocacy for good science.  

What follows are quotes from the article entitled “Science-based recommendations to design learning for a hybrid world” published March, 10, 2023 by Chief Learning Officer, authored by Dr. Britt Andreatta, that didn’t hit the mark from a scientific perspective; along with accurate information on those topics.  

1. “New developments in the neuroscience of learning show that learning continues throughout life, a phenomenon scientists call neuroplasticity (our ability to change or reorganize existing neural pathways) and neurogenesis (the ability to form new neural pathways). It’s never too late for people to learn new skills or change behaviors.”

The facts: Neuroplasticity is far from new.  The term “neuronal plasticity” was already used by the “father of neuroscience” Santiago Ramón y Cajal (1852-1934).   Neurogenesis is NOT the ability to form new pathways. It’s the ability of the brain to form new neurons. It’s literally in the name.  

Why this is important:

This is pure misinformation and demonstrates why it’s so important to have people who can validate the knowledge before it goes out to the public.  This is a much more lengthy process but by doing the due diligence, we can slow down the speed of misinformation being spread.  It has taken myself and two of my board members weeks to comb through the literature to ensure that what we are providing here is accurate.  

2. “Scientists have discovered nine types of memory: two types of short-term and seven types of long-term memory. Short-term memory includes sensory memory (like noticing the temperature in the room which lasts only seconds) and working memory, which lasts a few minutes, unless something pushes it to long-term memory. As learning designers seek learning transfer and application, moving learned information or behavior from short to long-term memory is the goal. “

The facts: Memory is an incredibly vast and complex area of study in neuroscience. The general consensus when it comes to defining memory though, as referred to in several papers (see some of our sources below) is not as “types” but as systems.  

There are types within the systems though, but the accuracy in which this was spoken was incorrect.  Upon searching for articles or research pertaining to this discovery of “nine types of memory”, we couldn’t find anything.  

“Short-term memory (STM), also referred to as short-term storage, or primary or active memory indicates different systems of memory involved in the retention of pieces of information (memory chunks) for a relatively short time (usually up to 30 seconds).” (1)

Next, you can’t “push” something into long-term memory.  In the storage stage of memory, practice, and rehearsal is critical in order to solidify neural patterns and strengthen the connections between them.  This lengthy process requires structural changes in the brain in order to create a long-term memory for retrieval. 

Why this is important: 

The process of creating a memory in a brain to later be retrieved for transfer is definitely not as simple as we’d like it to be.  We don’t simply “move” or “push” information from one system to the next.  Oversimplifying this process is incredibly misleading and will no doubt end in disappointing results and poorly designed and delivered learning. 

3. “Long-term memory lasts a lifetime and scientists have discovered both conscious or unconscious types of memory”

The Facts: Long-term memory CAN last a lifetime, but that doesn’t hold true for all.

What is referred to here as “conscious” memory is referred to in the literature as declarative memory, which allows us to recall facts and events.  Which, yes, includes semantic and episodic memory.

Whereas “unconscious” memory, is referred to in the literature as non-declarative,  memory which “is accessed without consciousness or implicitly through performance rather than recollection.”  

Why this is important: Those who have suffered from brain injury or neurodegenerative diseases in areas where certain long-term memories are stored would not necessarily have the luxury of being able to store and retrieve these memories.

So no, long-term memories don't necessarily last a lifetime. If you want a more simplified example, think about your school days, maybe you took a class on economics, but 30 years later, can only remember "supply and demand".

4)  “Many of us in the learning and development industry work with semantic memory…”

The Facts: Memory doesn’t work in isolated systems. “We use episodic memories of specific past events to “furnish” mental simulations of future events” (e.g. Schacter, Addis, and Buckner, 2008 ; Schacter, Benoit & Szpunar, 2017)

Why this is important: If memory worked in isolated systems the above might be true and it might be easier to learn and consolidate memories based on the particular system, but this isn’t the case.  

When learning for ourselves or if you’re in the industry as a designer or facilitator, you should be taking into consideration the entirety of what someone brings into their learning experiences via their memories.    

Episodic memory brings into play the plethora of life and work experiences a person has had.  So you can see how it’s not about one type or the other, it’s about the whole and it’s really not that simple. 

5. “If you want learning encoded into long-term semantic memory, information retrieval through quizzes, polls, group discussions and presentations on the topic are effective tools for learning to stick.” 

The Facts: Encoding is the term used to describe the initial phase of the learning process, it’s “the laying down of a trace of perceptual activity, which leaves a representation of the event in memory…” (2) What the author is referring to here is consolidation. 

Encoding is part of a 3 step process of memory as referred to by cognitive psychology.  

The second process would be storage, during which the variables or where, how long and how much information is stored is put into place. 

And lastly, you have the retrieval process where you are retrieving the encoded trace of information from long-term memory for use. 

“Semantic memory is a type of long-term declarative memory that refers to facts, concepts and ideas which we have accumulated over the course of our lives” (Squire, 1992)

Why this is important: Understanding at a fundamental level the process of memory can help you learn and create learning for others more effectively. You need to know that process first though in order to work within the rules of it. Regardless of the type of memory, a combination of rehearsal and retrieval is needed in order to create and strengthen a neural pathway that represents the memory. 

6. "There are five types of unconscious memory including somatic, emotional, non-associative (habituation and sensitization), priming and procedural, which includes learning new skills or habits. We’ll focus more on this last one." 

The Facts: The author seemed to be combining implicit/non-declarative with “unconscious” and the latter is extremely loaded due to its connections to Freud and psychoanalysis. 

“Non-declarative memory consists of a heterogeneous collection of abilities, including skills and habits, implicit memory, and some forms of classical conditioning.” (3)

7. "The basal ganglia is the brain structure responsible for helping us learn new skills or develop positive habits. “

Facts: The basal ganglia are not THE brain structure responsible for helping us learn, this is a generalized and oversimplified statement. It’s rare that the brain does anything in isolation so to say that one part is responsible for any one or two things is inaccurate. It's also not one structure, the basal ganglia (hint is in the name) are a group of structures that includes the putamen, caudate, globus pallidus etc.

The “basal ganglia” refers to a group of subcortical nuclei responsible primarily for motor control, as well as other roles such as motor learning, executive functions and behaviors, and emotions. (4)

“Volumes of research have highlighted the unique contributions of the basal ganglia and medial temporal lobes to learning and memory. However, some of the resulting characterizations, such as assigning implicit and explicit learning and memory to these systems, have turned out to be oversimplified.” (5)

8) “Here is what we know about habits and how they are formed: 

We need to repeat a behavior at least twenty times to form a new neural pathway.

On average, it takes 40 to 50 repetitions for the basal ganglia to form a habit where the behavior becomes automatic.

At 66 repetitions, neurons get thicker, much like muscles that get bigger with use.“

The Facts: This is wildly inaccurate. 

In 2009 a notable study done by Phillipa Lally concluded that:

“The time it took participants to reach 95% of their asymptote of automaticity ranged from 18 to 254 days; indicating considerable variation in how long it takes people to reach their limit of automaticity and highlighting that it can take a very long time”. (6)

Fast forward to the most recent research led by Katy Milkman and Colin Camerer released on April 17th, 2023 and as you see scientists are doing away with numbers. 

“Contrary to the popular belief in a “magic number” of days to develop a habit, we find that it typically takes months to form the habit..”  (7)

“To date, the best evidence of automatic and context-sensitive behavior linked to habits comes from laboratory experiments on animals and humans (SI Appendix, section 1) and a handful of field experiments (3), But there is surprisingly little research on how human habits naturally develop outside of the laboratory over the course of weeks or months in everyday life… (8)

And neurons do not get thicker.  The thickness of the cortex can influence how a neuron processes information, but there is no mention in the literature looked at about the neuron growing thicker. 

In summary....

Well, there you have it.  We could have gone even further but I think this is more than enough to demonstrate why we were doing this in the first place. 

My hope is that together we can create a larger awareness and move towards more credibility and better learning in our organizations and educational institutions.

So if you think something doesn’t sound or look right, don’t ignore that instinct, join forces with your brain and see if its hunch was right. 

I'd like to give special thanks to Dr.Elliott Jardin, Cognitive Neuroscientist, Dr. Richard Roche, Cognitive Neuroscientist, and Dr. Nick Hobson, Behavioural Scientist for their support in the research and validation of this article.

YARR for now everyone! YOU ARE REALLY READY! ????????

If you haven't seen the opening chapters of "Joining Force with Your Brain" the interactive series teaching you about your brains and learning, you can sign up for those here, FREE!

References: 

1. Short Term Memory Impairment; Marco Cascella; Yasir Al Khalili. National Library of Medicine, July 21, 2022 
2. Camina and Guell; The Neuroanatomical, Neurophysiological and Psychological Basis of Memory: Current Models and Their Origins, Front. Pharmacol., 30 June 2017
3. Lanciego JL, Luquin N, Obeso JA. Functional neuroanatomy of the basal ganglia. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2012 Dec 1;2(12):a009621. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a009621. PMID: 23071379; PMCID: PMC3543080
4. Foerde K, Shohamy D. The role of the basal ganglia in learning and memory: insight from Parkinson's disease. Neurobiol Learn Mem. 2011 Nov;96(4):624-36. doi: 10.1016/j.nlm.2011.08.006. Epub 2011 Sep 16. PMID: 21945835; PMCID: PMC3772079. 
5. Phillipa Lally, How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world;European Journal of Social Psychology, Published online 16 July 2009 in Wiley Online Library 
6. Katy Milkman and Colin Camerer: What can machine learning teach us about habit formation? Evidence from exercise and hygiene; Princeton University, Princeton, NJ; received September 24, 2022; accepted January 27, 2023
7. G. Vallar,Short-Term Memory, Reference Module in Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Psychology,Elsevier,2017

Additional Papers and Articles Reviewed: 

1. Squire LR, Dede AJ. Conscious and unconscious memory systems. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2015 Mar 2;7(3):a021667. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a021667. PMID: 25731765; PMCID: PMC4355270.
2. Curran, H.V. (2014). Declarative and Nondeclarative Memory. In: Stolerman, I., Price, L. (eds) Encyclopedia of Psychopharmacology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. 
3.  Thickness of brain regions linked to how neurons function:22 November 2018; University of Queensland
4. Natalia A Goriounova: Large and fast human pyramidal neurons associate with intelligence eLife 7:e41714, 
5. Squire LR. The legacy of patient H.M. for neuroscience. Neuron. 2009 Jan 15;61(1):6-9. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2008.12.023. PMID: 19146808; PMCID: PMC2649674.