A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE ? EDUTAINMENT IS THE NEW KEY FOR THIS DOOR !

A UNIQUE LEARNING EXPERIENCE ? EDUTAINMENT IS THE NEW KEY FOR THIS DOOR ! 

Have you ever imagined that a butterfly could cause a hurricane? Mind-blowing yes!  A very small detail can impact a whole thing, even if it’s indirectly impacting it, exactly like the butterfly flapping her small wings to cause a hurricane in another country...

Taking this concept to the L&D industry, a very small detail or change can impact the whole learning experience for the learners, shifting it from a normal learning experience to an effective, engaging, and valuable one! 

This small detail, but with a HUGE impact, is ‘EDUTAINMENT ‘ let’s know more!  

Since we were young and even now, when we hear the words "education" or "learning", we always associate it with a couple of hours of listening to someone giving us information while we are sitting for the whole duration bored. Isn’t it like that? 

But in fact , according to neuroscience, our brain retains, understands & memorizes better when "Dopamine" is released; when this information is associated with fun, happy moments & enjoyable experiences, not just for children but for all ages, but even especially for adults! 

“…Having fun releases dopamine in the brain, which makes a person more receptive to the experience.”

That’s why the concept of ‘Edutainment’ was introduced in order to make the learning experience full of both valuable educational content and an entertaining and enjoyable journey, so the learner can associate the educational content in an entertaining & fun context. 

Digging deeper, what ‘Edutainment’ actually is? How can it be embedded & used in the L&D field? Many questions, huh? 

‘Edutainment’ is the blend of education & entertainment together to create meaningful yet fun learning experiences. 

The idea of combining entertainment and education spread widely after the philosopher John Dewy in the United States encouraged the concepts of experimental and engaging methods of teaching to increase students' excitement and motivation in learning.

Edutainment = Education + Entertainment.

Edutainment as a concept can be applied through different tools in learning journeys; through Gamification, game-based learning, new technologies like VR, storytelling,  the combination of learning & travelling like in educational retreats, & last but not least, the systems & softwares' that are designed to be learning video games. 

‘The context to which the method applies may change, yet the outcome remains the same’ 

As an L&D professional, you will need to put the concept of ‘Edutainment’ into consideration in every step of preparing a learning journey , putting the learner experience in the frame of edutainment in the design phase will shift the learning experience from a normal one to a one of a kind, engaging, entertaining, & meaningful one.

‘SHIFTING THE L&D EXPERIENCE WITH THE EDUTAINMENT CONCEPT EMBEDDED INTO THE DESIGN OF THE JOURNEY’ 

Now after stating what edutainment is, we still need to explore how it is going to benefit us. How does this small detail flapping its wings cause a hurricane in the L & D industry? 

 According to brain research, when the fun stops, learning often stops too. 

Thus, one of the most impacting benefits of edutainment is that it impacts how the brain absorbs the learning content , feels it and lives it, thereby retaining it very well. 

Moreover, it’s said that when learners are motivated, entertained, engaged & not feeling stressed, information flows smoothly through the effective filter in the amygdala, 'the system in the brain responsible for releasing emotions’, and thus, helps in achieving higher levels of cognition, experiencing "AHA" moments & making more sense of learning content with all their senses. 

Accordingly, this means that edutainment impacts both sides of the brain; the emotional brain & the rational brain. In other words, the amygdala & the prefrontal cortex will work together, so the learning process will be better for the learner and it will be a holistic learning process. 

EDUTAINMENT Ft. PERMA MODEL for an effective learning experience?  

As mentioned previously, when dopamine is released, it affects how the brain receives information better and is more receptive to it, and as "dopamine" is known to be the "happiness hormone", we definitely have to think about linking the PERMA model that came from positive psychology with the Edutainment concept to achieve the most effective & desired learning experience. 

PERMA is known to be the theory of well being which addresses 5 elements; 

• Positive Emotions
• Engagement 
• Relationships 
• Meaning 
• Accomplishments 

Using these elements and applying them to the design of learning experiences will result in a unique educational journey for the learners. But how? Let’s see the link!

• Positive Emotions:  

The learning experience is to give positive emotions such as dopamine when released understanding becomes better and the level of retention as well. 

• Engagement: 

→ Being in the flow & completely engaged in the learning journey is definitely a goal for any L&D professional, and a good learning structure accompanied by entertainment creates a state of engagement full of learning & fun, therefore, Edutainment experience that will help the learner be completely in the flow.  

• Relationships:

→ Giving educational content, is not just about imparting some information… building a strong relationship with learner starting from putting their personal and learner experience into consideration while designing the learning journey to the moment of facilitation & bonding with the learner with rapport, makes the edutainment experience more familiar and full of shared benefits. 

• Meaning: → it’s not about fun only. When we provide a high meaningful value out of the learning experience, this at the end enhances & stimulates the rational part of the brain, which leads to more understanding & it satisfies the need of the brain to know more, satisfies the curiosity & thus releases good emotions. ’ 
• Accomplishments: 

→ When we get out of the learning journey, accomplishing new goals, targets, & personal objectives , it enhances the sense of identity. People tend to feel good when they accomplish something. Edutainment is a tool for that! 

LINKS MUCH ? yes, it’s the "Aha!" moment. 

•  Remember the butterfly effect? The ‘Edutainment’ concept is the wings’ flapping move that will make a hurricane in the L&D industry when we put it into consideration, be more aware of it, link it with every aspect of the learning experience, how the learner’s brain works, how neuroscience, entertainment, & education are linked together.

All this is the new key to a better, more effective L & D industry.  Tell us how you see the future of Edutainment in the L&D industry more..