When I was teaching health and safety in the oil industry, in the Steppes of Kazakhstan, in Aberdeen and Baku and in the Gulf – Bahrain, and Saudi Arabia, I often used to kick off a course with my Learning House, in which I looked at receivers of safety information from a semiotics viewpoint. I found the learning house also worked well when discussing English language uptake, which is very much needed among oil industry employees, so am accordingly forwarding it here, where it may equally apply, or may not of course!
The premise is broken into three parts that almost make 3 steps that link:-
i) safety is so important we must ensure safety warnings, messages and advice is heeded and acted upon.
ii) different people (the ”signified” in de Saussure’s semiotic parlance) receive and process information in different ways, for example the VAK theory of 3 different character types (see more here: The VAK Code
iii) the ‘Learning House’ helps categorise receivers of safety information into 4 realistic categories, the Bedroom receiver, the Kitchen receiver, the Living room receiver and the Garden receiver. At this point, if was chatting with you in a group, I’d ask you to pick one of the rooms and discuss why you chose this room or garden as the place you would like to be at this particular time.
I’d then keep you in small groups with others that chose the same location, or alternatively, with others who each chose a different location.
Which of the 4 locations mentioned above, in your house or an ideal house would you prefer to be in at this moment in time, and why?
Let’s look at the 4 categories of receivers of information, in an effort to understand how each receives and processes information, in my context of key safety information.
The Bedroom Receiver
This person works best by studying new information received alone, with intrinsic motivation. In a group s/he may even be sleeping, and will not be the one asking questions or participating in any discussion about the topic. Handouts are useful with this person, as s/he is likely to study them at home alone later. Information should therefore be supplied on paper so it can be studied carefully and quietly.This learner is of an intrapersonal type, if we refer to Chomsky’s 8 learner types.
The Kitchen Receiver
The Kitchen receiver is also intrinsically motived, and is a problem solver. S/he knows how to take meat and vegetables and make something – adding the right amount of pepper and salt. S/he works best with a rigid menu, and is thus an ideal safety learner: s/he understands the steps of fire and emergency drills and follows them diligently. However, if there is no set recipe this person may not take the initiative in an emergency – which is no bad thing many times! Safety information, however, needs to be given as problem-solving tasks within a framework, using information gap techniques. If information is supplied as a huge chunk of information just to read it will not be read.
The Living room Receiver
The socialite learner is great in a classroom setting, and is very often an apt communicator, willing to discuss all safety issues. Indeed, without any discussion about each aspect this receiver of information will take little or nothing from a session. S/he needs to transform information as well as merely transfer, and is seen as an interpersonal learner in Chomsky’s 8 learner types. S/he is someone who is extrinsically motivated, that is motivated by his/her environment, so needs the communication and group setting. The one problem with this learner is s/he is able to chat about anything, not only the subject at hand. Safety, or any other important information must be provided as a topic to be discussed, not studied alone.
The Garden Receiver
The garden receiver, or learner, is often a useful group member to have around. S/he is the do-er, and understands the concept of getting a task done carefully and properly to reap the benefit later. The garden receiver of information is able to see a longer term view. S/he is essentially extrinsically motivated though, and needs the right environment to operate in.
In my experience the 4 categories of receivers of information or learner types I use are valid, and interesting to kick off a course and indeed are valid in a number of training fields and contexts.
My obvious question now is which room did you pick, or did you pick the garden, and does your choice influence the way you pick up and retain information, do you think?
Related articles
- What type of learner are you? (classroom-aid.com)
- Susan’s Tips for Building Lifelong Learners (piplustutors.wordpress.com)
- Engaged Pedagogy (coopcatalyst.wordpress.com)
- Derailed Learners… Back on Track! (theteacherorganizer.com)
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How about a tree-hugger who may enter only vegi-kitchens!:)
She is accorded a special status, because of her the tree grew tall and proud, and sheltered many with word-like leaves, and she believes fully in the sanctity of life
your words are both invented by you and true – but nothing else is invented. It simply would not be dared to be! Its true that the old pagan spiritual thoughts in the Baltic region of northern Europe ascribed spiritual healing powers to trees, as well as flowing of energy. Studies have been carried out linking positive thought and energy to strong, healthy plants.
This is a really good addition to my resources on learning types/styles — I’ve taught ESL and tai chi, and am now taking a fitness leadership course, so the more resources I have in this area, the better — thanks!
That’s a very kind comment! I think for ESL it highlights to bedroom learners – and kitchen ones who need a menu, that they have to move to the living room sometimes, and garden learners are great for pointing out it takes a long time for a plant to grow, that it needs watering. In my experience when asked why garden, they come up with that themselves.
I’m actually a bit of all, though my most powerful is through reading. When I was a retail manager, we categorized our learners as well. I learned to combine our training activities to hit all four learning styles. Reading aloud, and making their learning material fill in the blank so that they had to write it as well. Repeating it aloud, exercise activities to practice the skills… They had different names, but same premise.
That’s interesting – yes, I’d agree with the different names same aim concept – very much.
Have to agree with Pinkagendist. You’re certainly blowing all the stereotypes. Chaumsky (sic), my foot.
Perhaps you could add a receiver with the laptop on the dining room table for moi?
Ahh..but you are such natural communicator surely the dining room is cunningly disguised and is a living room! But yes, I’m sure we can sneak a dining room in for the creative ones!
More likely there is no living room to date…. it hasn’t been a high priority since I’ve only been here less than three years.
Solar panels were the first priority, then the beach seems to call whenever I think of mundane stuff like furniture.
I would suspect you capture education in a pirate fashion….. can’t think of a better way.
This is the famous Latvian charm I heard about….yes, I always tried to get learners to see their full potential in different ways..actually if you click on VAK in the post I refer a bit to it, if I remember right – may check myself to confirm. Tanks…
well I seem to be a combo of 2, the bedroom and the kitchen. If given information to read I can read and retain information very well. I’m not much of a group type person, preferring to study alone. But given set rules I can go by them per kitchen. Give me a bunch of stuff and I will make something valuable out of it. I’m a great problem solver. Hmmm maybe I am unique? Or just strange? ha!
It would certainly make you intrinsically motivated, which seems ideal to me for an author. And yes,for unique, I know already that goes without saying – you certainly are!
thank you! so then I am happy with the outcome.
de Saussure (spelt correctly), Chaumsky? Are pirates supposed to be this educated. You’re disturbing my stereotypes.
”The intellectual tradition is one of servility to power, and if I didn’t betray it I’d be ashamed of myself.” (Chomsky)
Not too educated I hope!