Achieving Flow in Learning

I have to admit… I’ve been harboring a professional crush for Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi since grad school, and only partly because he is a fellow rock climber and he has a name that’s fun to pronounce. The other (more significant) reason is because I am interested in his flow theory work. In short, flow is the state of mind/being in which one is completely immersed in the task at hand. Think about when you’re thiiis close to finishing that really hard song you’ve been working on for a week in Guitar Hero, or [insert a relevant task that is of interest to you]. That complete focus, concentration, and sense of exhilaration is flow. (For more information, check out Csikszentmihalyi’s talk on TED and this article from Fast Company)

Now, imagine what our learning initiatives could achieve if learners are in a state of flow! Flow is not something you can provide to another or instill in someone else, but rather something that must be achieved through one’s own participation in an activity. As designers of learning experiences, let us ask ourselves this: is there anything we can do to help support learners in achieving that state? How can we design learning experiences to optimize flow in the target audience? Here are some ideas:

Motivate Your Audience: Before becoming engrossed in an experience, learners need a reason to enter the experience in the first place. The first step in helping learners achieve flow is through motivation, and we can look to our old friend the ARCS Model from Keller (which is nicely outlined here)

Set the Tone to Minimize Distractions: Provide an environment where distractions are minimized as much as possible. For example, state ground rules during a workshop that requires electronic devices to remain off for the duration of the session. If you’re designing an online experience, set expectations for time requirements so that learners can plan accordingly and dedicate the time necessary to complete the exercise.

Reduce Cognitive Overhead: Just like a buzzing cell phone can interrupt a state of flow, so too can complicated workshop logistics and inelegant e-learning interfaces. Simplify your designs to ensure that learners are fully able to focus on the learning activity rather than logistics or navigation.

Tell a Story: Try storytelling, using deep character development and compelling plot lines to draw your learners in. It doesn’t need to be complicated or tech-laden, just interesting to your target audience.

Given the choice between disengaged learners who are required to click a next button every once in a while to learners who are engrossed in a learning experience, I’d take the latter every time. Let’s help our learners achieve that state of flow!