5 Ways Infotainment Changes The Way You Learn
Even though the American education system has grown with prestigious colleges and programs, the method of implementing new ideas has not changed.
It's always been, here's your textbook, here's the lesson, here's the test, here's your diploma. Now get out there and figure it out.
And by the way, that'll be $30,000...
College debt is at an all time high and yet, there are only a few specializations that are truly useful in today's fast paced world.
But colleges won't tell you that.
When you enroll in a PhD program for Philosophy, no one is going to say are you sure?
Not saying a Philosophical mind is not worth the effort. But how can we claim a specialization of something we fancy without the task of going through years of schooling and tuition?
How can information be more accessible, transfer more quickly, and be applied to a successful life?
For me, ideally it would be great skip years of college and conveniently "plug into" an information source and just upload it directly into your life.
Remember that scene from the Matrix when Neo places a tube in the back of his head? Next thing you know he's a Kung fu master and fights Morpheus in a matter of seconds?
Someday in the future, with neurotechnology we may be able to do just that!
But in the meantime infotainment may be a more entertaining (and safer) alternative.
So what makes infotainment so fascinating?
It's appreciated by anyone who enjoys the simple pleasures of life.
A few things that come to mind are convenience, happiness, and comfort.
It's not just a data dump of here's how it's done methodology...
But rather a moment or a session of transferring information in a very cool way that you may appreciate, and by the end of it you'll learn something new that's useful.
It takes a committed person to find the divide between extensive information and delightful entertainment.
Once someone bridges the gap between these differing concepts, infotainment is created.
As I plan my first performance, here are 5 reasons why infotainment will change the way you learn.
1. Makes information more accessible
Learning something new can be fun and exciting until it's time to focus on the information.
Information can be a lot to take in all at once.
And in order to master the information it must be learned extensively and applied with experience.
But what if at the beginning this daunting task was alleviated with a more joyful experience?
Entertainment allows the person to favorably embark on a subject by understanding the simple fundamentals at first before they dive to the deep end.
"People don't think in terms of information. They think in terms of narratives. But while people focus on the story itself, information comes along for the ride." ~ Jonah Berger Author of the Book: Contagious Why Things Catch On
2. Requires a new way to communicate
In order for information to become entertaining, a new creative approach must come from the teacher.
A little background about myself:
I've been dedicated to a life of learning, I enjoy the great minds and even the underdogs of unconventional thinking.
I read often, I like obscure movies and listen to the kinds of music that make my friends never want to hand me the AUX chord when we share an Uber.
And to add to that, I am also a stand up comedian based out of Miami.
I decided to place the two together and figure out how to share the fascination I have for learning and laughing.
So I started Laughwise.com to do just that. Soon I will take this task on stage and you are invited to be a part of it.
"Education is too important to be left only solely to the educators" ~ Francis Keppel.
3. It's faster to learn something
If you ever search a how-to video on Youtube, you can solve a problem fairly easily.
One time I took my car to an auto mechanic for an oil change.
The mechanic came back out after the job was finished and said that my air filter was used up and must be replaced.
It would be $87 dollars to replace...
I said I would do it, and found a video for replacing an air filter for my make and model instantly. The video was 3 minutes long.
I saved $87 in a matter of minutes, and I didn't have to be a mechanic to do so.
4. Better retainment of information
A sophisticated way to teach something simple is great, but making it funny would be best.
Because in order for you to laugh, you have to get it.
If information was placed in a funny way, it takes a lot of creativity but when its relayed has a very powerful and lasting impression.
According to the American Psychology Association, learning in a funny way may just be the most effective way to take in and keep information.
It is considered more engaging and relaxing as information is given.
"Most professors think like professors, and you can't do that," [Professor] Berk says. "What I do and how I teach is all about the students," he says. "It has nothing to do with me. I'm tapping into their multiple intelligence needs and their culture so that they can understand the material in their terms."
5. Infotainment is fun
When you're having fun, you want to continue.
Conducting infotainment is also very social, it requires an audience and makes the teaching process tap into various layers of a groupthink mindset.
Sharing the joys of laughter can enlighten people, so can useful information, together this can be a powerful way to learn.
Think of all your childhood television programs, Sesame Street, Reading Rainbow, Mr. Rogers Neighborhood; they were a very effective way to communicate to childred.
There should be a way to continue this for an adult generation.
By doing so we can collaborate in a new movement towards leading a life of learning.
