How Do We Learn?

By Dominic Gallello – CEO, Graphisoft

The architectural profession has a tremendous need to master new processes and tools that are fundamentally transforming the profession. Embracing the challenge of the “Integrated Practice” cannot happen without learning some new skills.  For many mid-career professionals, coming out the other end of this tunnel is not without a bit of hesitation. Why?  Perhaps the process of learning can explain.

Learning is a basic, adaptive function of humans. People are generally flexible learners and are active in acquiring knowledge and skills. Much of what people learn occurs without formal instruction, but highly systematic and organized information systems--reading, mathematics, the sciences, literature, and the history of a society require formal training.   Over time, many subjects have posed new problems for learning because of their growing volume and increasing complexity.   Learning to use software applications, no matter how much the software emphasizes ease of learning and ease of use, is no exception.

The younger you are, the easy it is to learn.  Why is that?  Kids are more flexible, adaptable, eager and less afraid to make mistakes.  There is a certain freedom to learn that comes with being young that regrettably, we lose the older we get.   In their article, “30 things we know for sure about adult learning”, Ron and Susan Zemke had some interesting observations:

• By doing – Adults have a need for application of “how to” as the primary reason to begin a learning project.  Regardless of media, straightforward how-to is the preferred content orientation.
• Focus - Adults prefer single concept, single theory courses that focus heavily on the application of the concept to relevant problems. 
• Avoiding embarrassment - Adults have a lot more to lose in a classroom setting because of self esteem and ego.  Making mistakes in front of peers is just not comfortable. 
• Precision - Adults compensate for being slower by making fewer mistakes. 
• My time - Adults prefer self-pace over group learning led by a professional.  They select more than one medium for learning and they desire to control the pace and the start/stop times.

The world’s largest and most profitable car company and perhaps the world’s best at training its employees is Toyota.   They spend 5X the industry average on training.   Some of the key principles of Toyota’s elaborate system for constantly developing its employees are:

• Learn by doing
• Learn in small chunks
• People learn gradually

Toyota’s most proud that through its comprehensive training, it gets “extraordinary results out of ordinary people”.

With these concepts in mind, we set out to help our professional users learn the latest work methods and techniques with innovative voice led, self paced interactive learning.   Our core concepts include that the learning has to be:

• Free and almost instantly available.
• Voice led to hold the learner’s attention and more easily convey the concepts.
• Inside of ArchiCAD so it is guided learning within the application.
• The person doing the exercises should instantly experience success 
• The exercises are focusing on practical techniques that designers can utilize immediately in their everyday work.

For ArchiCAD 11, we are introducing 5 Interactive Training Guides.  These include:

• BIM Experience Kit -  a one hour overview of BIM  by creating the virtual model and documentation of a magnificent Frank Lloyd Wright designed House on Petre Island.  
• ArchiCAD 11 Basic – a 4-6 hour overview of all the major basic design aspects of ArchiCAD.
• Advanced Content Creation - 6-8 hour overview of how to create your own intelligent, parametric building elements.
• Collaboration - a 4-6 hour overview of the most commonly used internal (within the architect’s office) and external (with consultants, engineer and client)  project exchange concepts and techniques.
• Advanced Modeling - a 4-6 hour overview of all the techniques of creating even more detailed building models.

The guides have been constructed so that they focus on the “fun” aspects of the learning process.  Pre-set ArchiCAD project files are provided with narrated movie clips that explain exactly what you need to do so that your work will be smooth and easy. There is no need to waste time figuring out the steps.

Although we can’t promise that you can learn as if you were 16 again, these guides will provide you with a focused, engaging and hands on way to learn by doing according to your own pace and time schedule and in bite size lessons.  We welcome people of any age to download this material.  Remember, it is about doing and then learning will come.

http://www.graphisoft.com/products/archicad/ac11/itg/