Learning fatigue is the term used to describe the emotional state of an individual when there is too much stress or anxiety around learning new things. Learning fatigue is not limited to only classroom training; it also occurs during on-the-job training, mentoring, coaching, and just normal everyday conversation with other people. There are many ways to combat learning fatigue for remote and in-person learning models, and this article is going to cover 7 different methods that may be used to rid individuals of their anxiety around new information.
What is Learning and Zoom Fatigue?
Learning and Zoom fatigue happens when an individual has too many new concepts to process in a short period of time. The human mind can only take so much change at once before it starts shutting down. Learning fatigue is not only simply being tired after an in-person training session with a bunch of people in a room, but it can also occur in everyday learning.
What Effect Does it Have on Remote Learning or In-Person?
The symptoms of learning fatigue can have a negative effect on the learning process. People who are fatigued oftentimes feel overwhelmed with the amount of new information being thrown at them, which in turn makes it difficult to retain most of what they’ve been taught during training sessions. If people feel overwhelmed, most of the time they just want to go home and take a nap. When people don’t feel like participating and they just want to go home, it’s very difficult for the trainer or instructor to keep them interested in the material being taught.
It is also important for individuals to realize that fatigue can affect every part of the learning process. From memory recall to comprehension, tired people find it difficult to recall and retain information that was taught hours earlier.
Causes of Learning Fatigue
There are many factors related to fatigue and learning, but there are four main components of training; social, physical, mental, and emotional factors. When any one of these components is too much for a person to handle, it can lead to anxiety and a lack of interest in the training topic.
Social Factors
Being around too many people is probably the most difficult part of learning something new. People are social animals by nature, which means that they crave interaction with other people. Although humans have become very adept at being able to work independently, being isolated from other people for long periods of time can lead to anxiety and emotional tension.
Physical Factors
It’s not very easy for people to focus when they are in the physical discomfort of sitting in a chair for too long, or after they have walked several miles in shoes that don’t fit right. If people are uncomfortable with their physical environment, it’s going to be difficult for them to concentrate on what is being taught.
Mental Factors
People’s minds are very active and when they have too many thoughts going through their minds, it can be difficult for them to sit still and focus. When people have a lot on their mind it is often hard for them to get out of bed in the morning, much less pay attention during training sessions where they are trying to learn something new.
Emotional Factors
Learning involves emotions for people because it is much more difficult to remember something when you are not emotionally attached to the material. When people are taught things that they feel passionate about, it’s only natural for them to want to learn more information.
7 Teaching Strategies To Reduce Fatigue On Zoom or Classroom
For remote learning or in-person, as a teacher, the main purpose of the training session is to provide people with new information and skills that they can take back to their work environment. If you want to keep your audience interested and involved in learning, it’s important for them not to feel overwhelmed with too much new material because as soon as they do, fatigue sets in and it’s only a matter of time before the mind shuts down. Below are seven strategies that you can apply to your training sessions to encourage people not to feel overwhelmed with information.
1. Stick To The Subject Matter
One of the most important factors for keeping fatigue at bay is to limit the amount of information presented during each training session. To prevent people from getting overwhelmed, only present the information that is pertinent to teaching your topic.
2. Teach In Small Portions
It’s a good idea for trainers and instructors to keep the amount of time between breaks at or under 30 minutes. If people get up from their seats and walk around for too long they will become restless and they will want to leave. By limiting the amount of time in between breaks, you can emphasize that it is important for students to stay engaged in the training session.
3. Explain Everything Thoroughly
One of the most difficult parts about learning something new is forgetting what was taught when trying to recall information back at work. One of the best ways to keep people engaged is by ensuring that they understand everything you are teaching them. If your training session includes terms, concepts, and ideas that the audience doesn’t understand, it’s going to be hard for them to pay attention during the entire presentation.
4. Keep The Training Session Short And Sweet
People learn best when they are in short bursts of information, which is why most training sessions are designed to last only one hour. This short amount of time is enough for people to understand how new concepts work and they can apply them to their daily routines with ease.
5. Provide Real-World Scenarios
One of the best ways for trainers and instructors to keep people engaged in learning is to provide them with real-world scenarios that they can relate to. By involving your participants in learning at their own pace, you are allowing them to retain more information because they feel like the training session is relevant to their work environment.
6. Allow People To Ask Questions And Get Feedback
Another good way for trainers and instructors to combat fatigue is to allow their participants to ask questions and get feedback. If you want people to stay engaged during training sessions, it’s important for them to feel like they are getting something out of the training session as well.
7. Keep The Group Small And Have Fun!
It’s a lot easier for people to stay engaged when there are only a few people in the training session because it’s more of a one-on-one learning environment. This way, everyone is focused on what you are teaching and there are fewer distractions for them to be distracted by.
Learning fatigue can be a huge detriment when it comes to teaching people new information. However, if you are able to keep your audience interested and engaged, it’s possible for them not to feel overwhelmed with too much new material. To get the most out of your training sessions, it’s important to understand what circumstances cause fatigue and how you can combat them. By employing the strategies listed above, you can help your participants learn the information that you are teaching them with ease.
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