3 learning theories that underpin the 70-20-10 learning model
Often 70:20:10 is seen as a learning theory, but it’s actually more of a learning model that is supported by a number of learning theories.
Social constructivism
Social constructivism is a version of constructivism learning theory (Vygotsky, 1978). The basics of constructivism are that everyone builds their own understanding of the world. Indeed learning is not someone absorbing facts, but instead happens when someone builds their own insights. At a neurological level, neuroscientists have used brain scanning technology to visually map which parts of the brain are active while doing different tasks. What they have discovered is that each person’s maps are different. At a neurological level, each person's brain is literally wiring learning together in different ways.
Social constructivism was developed by Lev Vygotsky. It emphasises the social and collaborative nature of learning. Vygotsky sees that for humans to learn they need to be doing it with other people; learning is a social process not a solo process. For Vygotsky, learning needs to involve social processes such as debating and sharing ideas.
Social constructivist theory is a great underpinning for the 70:20:10 learning model. It supports the integration of experiential-based learning (the 70) with social and collaborative learning (the 20). A few examples of social constructivism are:
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communities of practice
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retrospectives
- coaching.
Kolb experiential learning theories
David Kolb developed his theories of experiential learning in the 1970s (Kolb et al, 1974). For Kolb, learning is a process that has its roots in the concrete experience (the 70) and the learner needs to observe and reflect on those experiences to form an understanding of the activity. At this stage the learner forms a conceptual, often abstract understanding of the experience. Then the learner needs to practise and test these new concepts. During this practice phase the whole process can restart.
What is useful about Kolb’s process is that it’s not just about learners having new experiences, it includes reflection and practice. Learning happens during the combination of all the phases. Often when learning and development people move to more experiential ways of learning they focus on just giving the learner an experience and forget about the reflective phases of the process. The process can also be applied to simulated experiences as well.
Putting this into practice means that work and learning needs to be integrated. Employees need time and guidance on how to reflect on and articulate what they have learned. Some example activities:
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Regular conversations between learner and manager about what has been learned lately.
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Adding an agenda item to a team meeting, where each team member talks about what they have been learning.
- Personal learning logs, where learners write notes on what they are learning.
Mirror neurons
Neuroscience is the study of how the brain works. One of its most useful discoveries is ‘mirror neurons’ (Rizzolatti & Craighero, 2004). Neuroscientists have discovered that as we observe an act, the same neurons fire in our brains. Most of the actual research has been done with monkeys but there is evidence that the process works in the same way in humans. Another way to think about this is that humans copy what we see other others doing.
Mirror neurons are a great way of explaining what is happening in the 70:20:10 learning model, especially when they are focused on sharing knowledge. Employees often say they learned more on the job than during courses. One way of thinking about this is that on the job, employees see how the organisation is working and their mirror neurons are triggered. Many workplace learning strategies such as job shadowing and mirroring are based on this approach of the employee witnessing best practice. Innovation in an organisation can also be triggered by seeing examples of different practice and approaches that might be outside how one’s own organisation works.
Mirror neurons explain why change is often so hard, as we seem wired to copy the people around us. Change often means breaking those patterns and not being like them to start with. As more people become involved in change the process becomes easier because we are no longer fighting our mirror neurons.
References
Kolb, D.A., Rubin, I.M., McIntyre, J.M. 1974. Organizational Psychology: A Book of Readings, 2nd edition. Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Rizzolatti, Giacomo; Craighero, Laila 2004. "The mirror-neuron system" (PDF). Annual Review of Neuroscience. 27 (1): 169–192.
Vygotsky, L. 1978. Mind in Society. London: Harvard University Press.
This is blog post is an extract from our ebook on Planting the seeds of a 70:20:10 learning model in your organisation.
