Are we doing enough?

Multimedia Learning: BrainBomb #1 (Images and Narration)

This post is inspired by Multimedia Learning, and is part of our “BrainBomb” series – daily inspiration and tools to help you find out what you are truly capable of. If you are inspired by the idea in this post, download the BrainBomb desktop wallpaper: (1440 x 900) or (1920 x 1200). If you want a video summary and workbook for this book, sign up for a free trial of Read It For Me Pro.

You Are What You Read

I couldn’t agree more with Oscar Wilde when he said:

“It is what you read when you don’t have to that determines what you will be when you can’t help it.”

I’m a firm believer in the power of knowledge to transform lives, and that what you read and learn can make the difference between greatness and mediocrity. You don’t need to take my word for it, either. There’s a new website by the great folks at Scholastic have created a neat new site called You Are What You Read where a lot of people you’ve heard of are listing the books that have influenced them. What’s more, we are living in a time where we have more access to information and big ideas than we’ve ever had before. For people who wake up in the morning wanting to make a difference, this is a very exciting time indeed.

But Can We Do It Better?

When we think of learning, we think of reading books and listening to lectures. We often bemoan the fact that “people aren’t reading enough books”, but rarely wonder if reading a book is in fact the best way to learn. The surprising answer is that there ARE better ways to learn, and the work of Richard Meyer is pioneering this field. His research gives us quite a bit, but most importantly that there are significantly better ways to learn than reading words on a page, or listening to somebody give a lecture.

One of the most effective ways to improve on the traditional book experience is through the combination of images and narration. So, rather than reading words, you would listen to somebody narrate a presentation that included visuals to help you learn the concepts you are attempting to learn. TED Talks from people who have slides that aid in understanding would count, a “talking head” video would not.