Accelerated Learning
by Bobbi DePorter
Many people think of Accelerated Learning as any activity that speeds
up the learning process. Such things as studying in groups and
occasional activities may increase learning, but as valuable as these
teaching tools may be, true Accelerated Learning methodology is
much more than that. Accelerated Learning is a systematic approach
to teaching the whole person, containing specific core elements that,
when used together, empower students to learn faster, more
effectively and joyfully. To occasionally turn on a baroque tape or
hang a few posters is to use but a few elements of the whole process.
To get the most from Accelerated Learning you need to know how and
when to use each element and understand the theory behind it.
Developed in the 1970s, Accelerated Learning is based on the work of
Dr. Georgi Lozanov, a professor of psychiatry and psychotherapy from
Bulgaria now living in Austria. His early program, which focused on
teaching a foreign language, included relaxation, visual arts and
music. Students learned from one hundred to one thousand new
vocabulary words a day with ninety-eight percent retention or better.
He called his new method Suggestology, based on the theory that
suggestions can and do affect the outcome of learning.
According to Lozanov, Suggestology is an organized way of
augmenting natural learning. It builds on those methods that allow us
to learn most effectively and efficiently, emulating some of the ways
we learned as a young child. Suggestology recaptures that natural
learning process and accelerates the understanding and retention of
content.
Today's Accelerated Learning is multifaceted, encompassing a wide
variety of methods and techniques. An effective Accelerated Learning
program may include new findings in multiple intelligences, learning
styles, neurosciences and cognitive psychology. But to be true to Dr.
Lozanov's original intent, it must take into account the basic beliefs,
theories, assumptions and core elements of Suggestology:
Beliefs/Theories
1. Learning is dual-planned or paraconscious - we learn through both
our conscious and subconscious mind. Suggestion is a powerful
technique for tapping into the normally unused "reserves of the mind"
to help the student learn faster and easier.
2. Everything makes a suggestion, either consciously or
subconsciously. A student may be consciously listening to the teacher;
subconsciously, his mind is aware of peripherals, the teacher's mood,
tone and noises in the room.
3. There is no single stimulus. The very way we receive, or rather,
perceive information is in a context.
4. Everything is constantly being processed, including symbols, rituals
and associations.
5. There is no neutral: only positive or negative. Teachers need to
make a concerted effort to create as many "positives" as possible,
paying careful attention to creating a comfortable, safe and fun
learning environment.
Assumptions
Teachers are the single most important factor.
Teachers must model and be congruent with the expected
learning of the student.
Prestige of the teacher and method are important-learning is
enhanced when the student has a positive belief in the teacher.
Beliefs in general are a crucial factor.
Teachers must believe in the virtually limitless capacity of the
human being.
The "reserves" of the mind are unlimited; therefore, always give
people more than they can do and act as if they can do it easily.
(Taps into the unlimited reserves.)
Freedom of the individual must be preserved at all times.
There is need for ritual so learners come to expect what will be
happening.
Learning is more effective in a physically and mentally stress-
free environment-all learning should be relaxed and tension
free.
Core Elements:
The Physical Environment
Every effort is made to create a comfortable learning environment.
Lighting, temperature, color, plants and décor are taken into careful
consideration.
Seating arrangements are open and flexible.
Music
Appropriate and effective use of music enhances the learning
environment.
Baroque music helps students relax and focus.
Upbeat music energizes students.
Peripherals
Peripherals are posters and visuals that reinforce lessons.
The information, or suggestion, contained in the peripherals is taken
in by the subconscious mind while the student is consciously focused
on the teacher or an activity.
Teacher
The teacher must establish credibility with the students and be well
trained in
Accelerated Learning.
Tonality of speech (pitch/tone/tempo/loudness/softness) is a technique
used to capture the students' attention and emphasize key points.
Positive Atmosphere
Emotional safety is established and the tone is friendly and joyful.
Positive emotions influence the learning process and enhance
retention.
Careful languaging emphasizes positive statements and avoids
negative statements.
The teacher builds strong rapport and relationships with the students.
Art and Drama
The teacher uses props such as puppets, costumes, hats and artifacts
to illustrate lessons.
Dramatics, including role-playing and storytelling, make lessons come
alive.
Active and Passive Concerts
These elements are used in classic suggestopedic classrooms.
Accompanied by selected music, the teacher dramatically reads a
story imbedded with information and main points from the lesson.
Using the proper voice tonality is a crucial part of effectively telling
the story.
Teaching Frame
The teaching frame is the element that brings it all together into a
harmonious flow. A strong frame gives the content structure,
effectively taking students through a successful learning cycle. Dr.
Lozanov's original process includes three phases:
1. Prepare: Begin the class by preparing the students for learning.
Plant early suggestions, including the ease of learning the material
and an overview of content. Create a global picture and make
connections with prior learning.
2. Active: Give the students an experience of the learning. Create total
learner involvement. This includes active concerts, hands-on
activities, demonstrations and debrief.
3. Passive: The lesson continues with reflection and review. Use this
time for passive concerts and other review activities, followed by an
appropriate close celebrating the learning.
Although Accelerated Learning frames used by practitioners may vary
in particulars and labels, their similarities validate the effectiveness of
the methodology. The following chart outlines the frames of several
prominent practitioners.
As the chart shows, there are a number of successful frames for
orchestrating Accelerated Learning. To give a better idea of how a
frame works, the Quantum Learning teaching frame follows as an
example. This frame was developed by Learning Forum, a company
specializing in Accelerated Learning programs for students, educators
and business people through its SuperCamp and Quantum Learning
programs.
Quantum Learning Frame
Enroll: Hook the students with an intriguing opening statement and
global picture of the lesson. Pique their curiosity. Give them a glimpse
of what is to come without revealing too much. Enrolling students
establishes rapport and ignites a desire to explore.
Experience: Give students an experience or activity that
demonstrates the lesson. Create a need to know. An experience
creates curiosity and emotional engagement. It allows students to tap
into prior knowledge and make connections, adding meaning and
relevance to the content.
Label: Drop the "data" in at the moment of peak interest and discuss
its relevance to students' lives. Explaining the lesson after the
experience capitalizes on the student's natural desire to label,
sequence and define new learning.
Demonstrate: Provide opportunities for students to translate and
apply their new knowledge to other situations. Giving students
additional activities demonstrates to them what they know, and builds
confidence.
Review: Cement it in the students' minds. Review strengthens the
neural connections, increasing retention.
Celebrate: Celebrate your students' success. Celebration brings
closure by honoring effort, diligence and success.
The Quantum Learning teaching frame ensures that the lesson is
taught on several different levels. Enrolling the students first piques
their curiosity, creates excitement and raises expectations - all
positive emotions. Allowing them to experience the lesson through a
game or activity engages the student, making the lesson more
concrete and more fun. At the end of the activity, students may have
more questions then they began with - this is the teacher's cue to
"label" the information, explaining and debriefing what was just
learned. A demonstration helps students connect their experience
with the new learning, and a quick review cements it in their
memories. Finally, the class celebrates their success - with high-fives,
saying words of acknowledgment, playing upbeat music, or giving a
class cheer. Though the students may not know it, the entire lesson
was a carefully orchestrated Accelerated Learning experience.
Numerous variants and syntheses of Lozanov's original work are now
applied to all subjects and ages and collectively called Accelerated
Learning. In fact, Dr. Lozanov himself has developed ongoing variants
to his original work. He now uses both the terms Suggestology and
Desuggestology-a science focusing on the conditions under which
inhibited creative abilities and other 'reserves of the brain' and psyche
can be freed for more effective learning and teaching.
Snapshot of a Typical Accelerated Learning Classroom
In the Accelerated Learning classroom, the teacher sets the tone -
positive, alive, friendly -greeting each student who comes in the door
with a warm comment or affirmation. Eye contact, a friendly gesture
and a few simple words - "Hello! Glad you're here. We're going to
have a great day!" - these elements help overcome any negative
feelings the students may have and subtly "suggests" a positive frame
of mind and successful outcomes. Over time, the teacher has
established a rapport that makes the students feel safe and relaxed.
Upbeat music streaming from the boom box creates a positive
atmosphere and helps students look forward to the day's events.
The classroom itself is carefully arranged: lighting, plants, seating
arrangements, music, posters that reinforce lessons and values have
been well thought-out to contribute to the learning environment.
The music stops, students take their seats, and the teacher continues
preparing them for learning with an intriguing statement or question:
"If you suddenly found yourself in an isolated area of the Sierra
Mountains, how would you survive?" The teacher then gives a global
overview of the geography, climate, flora and fauna, then throws them
into an activity while suggesting the ease in which they'll learn. The
students become actively involved, trying to figure out how they might
survive through a simulation, role playing or other activity. At
completion of the activity, the teacher then leads a debrief on what
they discovered or learned (Would they have survived?), followed by
an explanation of what the early settlers experienced and how they
survived. The students return to their simulation to apply their new
learning, demonstrating to themselves that "I did learn something!"
The lesson continues with review and reflection with the teacher
holding cards with pictures and questions, and the students calling
out the answers in unison. The teacher follows with a story that
reinforces the lesson, while students relax to baroque music. The
lesson closes with students telling a neighbor something they learned,
followed by a "Yes!" and high-five, in celebration of what they learned.
Other lessons follow with a similar flow throughout the day,
continuing a joyful, positive atmosphere. The teacher pays special
attention to the "state" or attentiveness of the students and plans for
frequent breaks. Just as students began the day greeted at the door
being prepared to be open and curious, an overlay of the Accelerated
Learning frame also began, layered over the day, the week or section,
in iterations.
Careful orchestration is the key to a successful Accelerated Learning
classroom. All elements must be integrated into a unified whole.
Students do not realize suggestions are being imbedded or the
teacher is carefully guiding their learning. In this environment,
learning is natural and spontaneous.
Proven Results of Accelerated Learning
Accelerated Learning has been shown to speed up the learning
process and increase comprehension, retention and critical thinking
skills. Teachers who use Accelerated Learning methods report higher
test scores and grades, enhanced motivation and self-esteem, and
greater class participation.1 Corporate trainers who use these
methods found they were able to teach more, in less time,
significantly raising their training effectiveness ratings. 2
A doctoral dissertation on the affects of Accelerated Learning at
SuperCamp involved 6,042 students, ages 12-22, and utilized
quantitative and qualitative data over a seven-year time period.
Results showed 84% of the students reported having increased self-
esteem, and ninety-nine percent of the students indicated they had
continued to use the skills learned after the 10-day experience. The
students who entered with a 1.9 GPA or lower attained a one-point
GPA growth, on average, after the program. Overall, students across
the "A" through "F" range made a half-point growth after 10 days of
instruction. The study noted, "It is apparent that the program had a
profound effect on students' lives, emotional outlook toward
themselves, their parents and peers, and education in general."3
Those who have fully adopted Accelerated Learning methods report
outstanding results. Peter Anderson, principal of Northwood Middle
School in Illinois, states: "Kids report enjoying school more and
having more tools to succeed. Early indications show that students
seem more proficient in spelling and vocabulary and feedback from
parents shows that their children are more motivated. The
atmosphere is more positive and upbeat. It's helping to bring an air of
fun to learning."
Lori Brickley, San Diego County Teacher of the Year, also reports
great success: "These methods made things happen with the kids that
I couldn't believe. Quantum Learning (an Accelerated Learning
methodology) provides the theory and means to interject more fun in
learning and reach more learners through brain compatible teaching.
Six weeks into the school year, my "at risk" students experienced a
one point grade jump."
These are the kind of results that can be achieved when Accelerated
Learning methods are carefully and systematically applied. The
teacher must have an in-depth understanding of Accelerated Learning
to make the many elements of this diverse methodology into a unified
whole. Accelerated Learning is a multifaceted approach to teaching
the whole person, as diverse in its techniques as the students
themselves.
References:
1 Masters Thesis by Sarah Singer-Nourie, Saint Xavier University, May 1998
2 Various studies and reports from corporations
3 Doctoral dissertation by Jeannette Vos-Groenendal, Northern Arizona University,
May 1991
Resources:
Books
DePorter, Bobbi, Mark Reardon, and Sarah Singer-Nourie, Quantum Teaching, MA:
Allyn & Bacon: 1999.
DePorter, Bobbi, Quantum Learning, NY: Dell Publishing, 1992.
Meier, David. The Accelerated Learning Handbook. NY: McGraw Hill, 2000.
Rose, Colin and Malcom Nicholl, Accelerated Learning For The 21st Century: NY:
Delacorte Press, 1997.
Organizations
Learning Forum (Bobbi DePorter, President)
SuperCamp / Quantum Learning Programs
www.learningforum.com
email: info@learningforum.com
Accelerated Learning Systems Ltd. (Colin Rose, Chairman)
www.acceleratedlearning.com
email: als@acceleratedlearning.com
Center for Accelerated Learning (David Meier, Director)
www.alcenter.com
email:alcenter@execpe.com
International Alliance for Learning (IAL)
www.ialearn.org
email: info@ialearn.org
Journal: http://tec.camden.rutgers.edu/JALT
About the author:
Bobbi DePorter is President of Learning Forum, producing Quantum Learning and
SuperCamp programs for students, teachers, schools and organizations across the
United States as well as in Asia, Europe and Latin America.
In the late 1970’s, Bobbi studied with Dr. Georgi Lozanov, father of accelerated
learning, and applied these methods to her highly successful business school.
Seeing a need to teach school children how to learn, she later applied the
techniques to a youth program called SuperCamp, which she opened in 1982. In the
years since, SuperCamp has helped over 40,000 students relearn how they learn
and reshape how they live their lives.
Learning Forum also trains teachers and administrators, and tailors special school
programs for students in Quantum Learning methods. Quantum Learning is
implemented in hundreds of schools and has impacted over one million children. It
was recently approved to be included on the list of national Comprehensive School
Reform Models.
During Bobbi’s nearly 30 years in education, she has been involved in many industry
organizations including serving as president of the International Alliance for
Learning, and current chair of the Best Practices in Education project for the San
Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Bobbi is the author of several
books on learning and teaching including Quantum Learning: Unleashing the Genius
in You, Quantum Business: Achieving Success Through Quantum Learning,
Quantum Teaching: Orchestrating Student Success and The 8 Keys of Excellence:
Principles to Live By.
To read more about Bobbi DePorter's ideas on accelerated learning on this website,
navigate here.
For information on Quantum Learning and SuperCamp programs, call 800.285.3276
or go to http://www.learningforum.com Email: bdeporter@learningforum.com
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