Mirror, Mirror

You are flipping channels and run across an old rerun of a show, "America's Funniest Home Videos." As you tune in, this guy in a bathing suit is bouncing off of a trampoline and attempting to land in an above-ground, kiddie pool. You being to wonder why he is doing this, but you are quickly distracted by the impending launch into the pool. Pool Man runs, jumps on the trampoline and propels himself toward the pool. His projected landing is a bit off and he ends up straddling the wall of the pool. Ouch.

Most of us will have a physical reaction to Pool Man's miscalculated landing. We might grimace or even say, "Ouch!". Recent brain research tells us that our reaction is based on the presence of mirror neurons in our brains.

Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that responds equally when we perform an action and when we witness someone else performing the same action.

If watching an action and performing an action can activate the same parts of the brain, then it makes sense that watching an action and performing an action could also elicit the same feelings in people.

The research on mirror neurons has major implications. Researchers are exploring the role mirror neurons play in language development, empathy and even autism. Think about the implications mirror neurons have on the development of learning experiences.

To fully engage and connect the learner to the content that we are teaching, we must create a meaningful, personal connection. Understanding the role mirror neurons play in how we perceive and process information expands the possibilities in design and delivery. Stories, movies, dialogue, personal experiences and images all have the potential to engage mirror neurons. When we engage through other's experiences, we essentially create an experience for the learner.

Enjoy the process,
Jeanine O'Neill-Blackwell
President/CEO, 4MAT 4BUSINESS