Have a Plan to Overcome Boredom?

"High school students say they are bored in class because they aren't interested in what they're studying," according to Indiana University's Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, "or they don't have enough interaction with their teachers." Does this surprise you?

Here's the scoop... Amazingly, findings show that "fewer than 2 percent of students say they are never bored in high school." Another 75 percent of students report they were "bored in at least one class because the subject they were studying wasn't interesting." About 31 percent of learners cited "lack of interaction with teachers as the primary reason for classroom boredom."

Lectures and PowerPoints lead the causes of this lack of interaction between teachers/trainers and learners. Dr. Ellen Weber explains why lectures lead chosen teaching methods...

Lectures are actually a huge asset to the person talking at you...? While it is futile for passive learners who retain less than 5%, lecturers brains spike on every topic they teach, since teachers retain 90% more through the process of lecturing and teaching, according to National Training Institute in 1999.

To counter this, many teachers and trainers adopted PowerPoint since it's touted to capture audiences through lively visuals. Intriguingly, fact is, according to recent research by Prof John Sweller of the University of New South Wales, PowerPoint has more dismal results than lectures...

Now research claims to have proved what millions of bored workers have suspected all along - they have little power and even less point.

According to the report, the brain cannot cope with having too much information thrown at it at once.

Having someone speak and point to a screen full of facts and figures at the same time causes it to switch off.

A speech would be far less of a waste of time, the research claims.

So what to do?

Suggestions for Teachers and Trainers:

1. Ask two-footed questions... Why not find out peoples experiences. You might begin by asking learners or employees for stories connected to the topic. You'll be surprised at what folks already know. And, you'll engage more people and at the same time counteract passivity... Keep in mind that you may not "know it all."

2. Open an opportunity to do something connected to your topic... For instance, you may ask folks to brainstorm in groups to suggest possible solutions to a problem. Group reps report solutions... followed by open discussion to hone out best possibilities.

3. Role play - Ask for volunteers to participate in a role play [you provide overview of each character's role]. Then, everyone can add more dimensions following the session and work out what you require...

4. Laugh, Teacher, Laugh! Glen Walter says in an Education Digest article ...

These same [serotonin] hormones are responsible for making the eyes sparkle and getting the brain to work more effectively. Laughter can produce a great deal of relaxation. When the body is relaxed, the vista broadens, and a person can see things he was missing before. Both teachers and students experience a great deal of stress while under the pressure of tunnel vision. By the use of laughter the hardening of attitudes can be prevented. With the reduction of stress through laughter, there is more time and energy left to learn and create.

Tips to Stay Alert in a Boring Session

Health (Mar 2006) suggests these strategies:

1. Take it personally. Before the meeting, scan the agenda and list how the topics could affect you, your department, or the company as a whole. "You'll be more alert if you're engaged in what's going on," says Gordon D. Logan, PhD, attention expert and professor of psychology at Vanderbilt University in Tennessee.

2. Tap your powers. In a recent study at the University of Michigan School of Public Health, college students who were "awake but not fully alert" perked up significantly with acupressure. According to Richard Harris, PhD, who led the study, here's what works best: Tap the top of your head two times a second for 3 to 5 minutes. Or, if you'd rather not attract coworkers' stares, try massaging the back of your hand between your thumb and forefinger.

3. Ask questions. It programs your brain to be an active participant, rather than just a drowsy observer. If the speaker isn't taking questions, jot them down on your notepad for later.

4. Sit near an overachiever. Yawning is contagious, and alertness may be, too, Logan says. If someone in your group is nuts about the third-quarter cost overruns that put you to sleep, sit near her and let her excitement rub off.

What are your favorite antidotes for boredom? What've you found effective no matter if your position is instructor or learner...

I'll publish your techniques in a follow-up post!