What is Information Processing Theory: Examples, Stages and Application in Corporate Training

In the workplace, education is everything. With education comes experience, efficiency, and consistency. It means fewer errors, less time spent on training and retraining, and more effective team members. All the good stuff!

For these reasons, it's critical that your teams are provided with quality corporate trainings.?

In this post, we're going to cover the nuanced psychology theory of information processing. But the point of this piece isn't so that you can impress your coworkers with all of the big words you're about to learn. Rather, it will help you develop training for employees that are substantial and impactful.?

(And that is something you can boast about)

Contents:

What is information processing theory?

Examples of information processing theory at work

• Using all of your senses to grasp a concept
• Balancing your cognitive load
• Repetition is key

The 3 stage model of memory

• Input
• Storage
• Output

How to use the theory of information processing in corporate training

• Grab your audience's attention with sensory details
• Be clear about your key concepts
• Put your audience's active recall process to work

What is information processing theory?

The theory of information processing came about in the 1950s. It serves to help us understand how information is encoded in the brain by paralleling the brain with a computer — something that wasn't possible until this time in history.

Supporters of the theory believe that storing information in your brain is a three-step process. First, you perceive something with one or more of your five senses. Then, that something is temporarily stored in your short-term memory. From there, if you successfully "learn" it — it moves into your long-term memory, where you'll be able to recall and rely on that information for years to come.?

So why does this matter in the workplace?

Information processing examples we can all relate to

This might all sound a little SciFi right now, but the theory of information processing is super simple to grasp when you see how it happens in real life.?

Below are three information processing examples that you've likely experienced — each can be used to optimise your next corporate training.?

Using all of your senses to grasp a concept

You've probably come across the idea of "different learning styles". This is why you tell people you're a visual learner when you can't remember what they just told you. In theory, some people are better at learning through visuals, others through listening, feeling, etc.?

Whichever of these is your strong suit, you've no doubt noticed that you learn best when you use all of your senses to understand a concept. Multiplication might not have made sense at first when you were younger. But after hearing it explained, seeing it visualised on a projector (yes, we’re all that old), and then practising it for yourself with tiles and buttons on your desk, you were able to grasp the concept.?

This is one of the key concepts of the information processing model. Your brain collects information via your senses, and so the more you engage your senses, the more information your brain can store and, ultimately, return to later.?

Balancing your cognitive load

Multitasking rarely ever works in a professional setting and, through a better understanding of the information processing model, we can see why.?

According to the theory, information is stored in our short-term memory before it’s embedded in the long-term. When you're multitasking, however, you're essentially trying to keep more information in your short-term memory than your brain can manage.?

The result is a balancing act of trying to cram things into your long-term memory for just long enough that you can do more than one thing at once. And more often than not, we fail completely — or at the very least fail to be more efficient than we would by focusing on one task at a time.?

Repetition is key

Whether you were memorising a script, studying for a test, or learning to ride a bike, you no doubt found repetition useful.?

In fact, according to the theory of information processing, one of the key ways that information moves from our short-term memory into our long-term memory is through repetition. The more times something is cycled in your short-term memory, the more likely it is to be embedded in your brain.?

This is an extremely empowering piece of information, especially when it comes to designing training for employees.?

The 3 stage model of memory

Now that we have an idea of how information processing in the brain has taken place in our own lives, let's go a step further and break this process down into three stages. Today, these are the three accepted stages of processing information.?

1. Input

The first stage is input. During this stage, external information is internalised in our short-term memory. And (as we covered) the means through which it is internalised is through one or more of our five senses. The more senses you use to engage with something, the more input you receive.?

Even at the input stage, your brain is already analysing and breaking down the material it's presented with. While you are unlikely to come up with deep insights this early, you'll begin bridging concepts and building on what you know.?

2. Storage

Next, the information moves from our short-term memory (or "RAM", to build on the computer analogy) into our long-term memory. We no longer have to engage with the content via our senses to remember, analyse and eventually regurgitate it.?

3. Output

The third stage of information processing theory is output. This is where deeper insights and analysis begin to take place. This can happen while the information is still being processed and stored (i.e., while you're in the middle of learning) or more often, at a later point in time.?

For instance, let's look at reading. You start not even knowing the letters that make up words, let alone their definitions, syntax, grammar, etc. However, you store each of these concepts in your brain over time. Then, many years later, at a whim, you can look at the text on this screen, internalise it instantly, pull out the key concepts subconsciously, and (hopefully) recall them later when creating training programs!?

How to use the theory of information processing in corporate training

Speaking of, it's time to take this 3 stage model of memory and apply it to corporate training. Below are three practical ways you can turn the psychology of this theory into workplace practice.?

Grab your audience's attention with sensory details

First, we know that you need to use sensory details to grab your audience's attention. And since some of your audience might have different sensory strengths (i.e., they may be visual, tactile, or auditory learners) you need to engage with multiple senses throughout your training.?

The obvious route is by speaking and showing slides of what you're talking about as you go. This route is also a bit stale and is unlikely to hold most people's attention. To keep things fresh, try to think of new, simple ways you can visualise the material and put it in front of your audience.?

Be clear about your key concepts

You’re not going to remember every word of this article, and that’s okay. It’s also okay that your employees won’t remember every piece of information thrown at them during training programs.?

Use tools like basic repetition, the five senses, and hierarchies to communicate the key takeaways.?

Encourage active recall of new material

Building on repetition, you can also ask attendees to perform active recall exercises. These are activities that put their new knowledge to work — it might mean educating a fellow colleague on what they learnt or doing an internal presentation to the rest of their team.

The information processing model is a serial process; unrehearsed information gets lost from the short-term memory, while the stuff that sticks is what gets repeated.

Training programs underpinned by psychology — and made easy with My Learning Hub

Now that you know how the information processing theory works, you're ready to start making it a staple of your corporate training. You can take even greater advantage of this theory and other educational tools with My Learning Hub, a product packed with the latest engagement techniques.?

See what My Learning Hub is all about by booking a demo today.?