Have you ever been so absorbed in an activity that you lost track of time? Have you ever been in a zone where nothing else mattered, and you were completely in the moment? This state of intense concentration is what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls flow, and it's the optimal experience for learning and creativity. Whether you are doing needlepoint or climbing Everest, flow can occur in any challenging activity, engaging and providing a sense of mastery or accomplishment.
Experiencing Flow
Let's explore how high-achievers experience flow. See if you can spot any patterns in their descriptions.
"When you're in that zone, it's just a supreme confidence. You know that you're going to make the right play, and you know that everything you do is going to have a positive effect on the game. You're completely in the moment, and nothing else matters." - Kobe Bryant, in an interview with GQ, 2015.
"The adrenalin kicks in, and you're not really thinking about anything except the story and what you're doing with the characters. It's like being in a dream, and all of a sudden it just takes over, and you're able to write without thinking about anything else." - Stephen King, in an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, 2014.
"The guitar becomes a part of your body, and the music becomes a part of your soul. It's like an out-of-body experience, and everything else disappears." - Carlos Santana, in an interview with Guitar World magazine, 2003.
"When you're in the zone, your hands move like a concert pianist's. You're not even thinking anymore. You're just doing, and you feel like you're dancing with the ingredients." - Mario Batali, in an interview with Men's Journal, 2013.
In all of these descriptions, each individual is fully immersed in the present moment and completely absorbed in their task. They enter a state of intense concentration, losing track of time and becoming one with their activity. Whether shooting a basketball, writing a story, playing music, or cooking in the kitchen, flow occurs in the ideal situation where your challenges meet your capabilities.
Flow and Learning
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's flow research has significant applications in learning. Csikszentmihalyi's research suggests that activities that promote flow will challenge an individual while providing immediate feedback on their progress. Clear goals and timely feedback help learners feel more in control and engaged in learning. When individuals are in a state of flow, they are fully engaged in an activity, which can lead to increased learning and creativity.
Award Solutions takes this research to heart and incorporates it into our learning apps' design and development to ensure our users have the best learning experience. Award Solutions' learning apps, such as DragNet, CabiNet, and SigNet, are designed to help learners achieve a state of flow. These apps provide a hands-on approach that allows learners to explore real-world problems and experiment with different solutions.
Network Architecture and Interfaces – DragNet
DragNet's drag-and-drop paradigm allows students to easily construct and modify networks, using their knowledge of network components, functions, and interfaces to explore network architectures. You can use the app to solve real-world problems and even experiment to discover how different networks behave. Clear goals are provided during each step in the process to promote flow and increase the likelihood of successful learning.
Equipment and Endpoint Connectivity – CabiNet
Imagine a new technician facing the daunting task of mastering knowledge of equipment, shelves, chassis, cards, and their connectivity, as well as a complex array of systems and connections in a data center, central office, or a hub location. The Digital Learning team at Award Solutions developed CabiNet specifically to address these challenges.
CabiNet provides a safe and cost-effective environment for learners to practice their skills and apply their knowledge to real-world scenarios without expensive equipment. In addition, the app's user-friendly interface helps you master equipment connectivity by matching the task's demands to your skills and abilities. Overall, CabiNet's design makes the learning experience more engaging and effective for technicians facing the daunting task of mastering complex technical skills.
Radio Frequency (RF) Simulation – SigNet
SigNet uses the concept of flow to optimize learning by providing an immersive and engaging experience. The 3D interactive RF simulation graphically illustrates the relationships between mobile devices, RF coverage, and network signaling. You can learn through experience as you customize configurations to illustrate various signaling events and situations, from simple message exchanges to complete end-to-end call scenarios.
Pop-up dialogues explain what is happening, and probing questions ensure the user understands the key learning elements. Advanced scenarios also allow the user to modify the RF environment and assess the results, providing feedback to reinforce learning. All these features work together to promote flow and keep learners engaged and motivated.
Summary
By designing our learning apps with the principles of flow in mind, we've created an optimal learning environment that is engaging, challenging, and rewarding. As a result, learners can immerse themselves in the activities, build new skills and knowledge, and feel more motivated and satisfied with their learning experience. So, if you want to achieve your best learning outcomes, get in the flow with Award Solutions' learning apps.
About Lisa Stringer
Lisa Stringer is a digital learning designer at Award Solutions, where she creates stories to help people learn more about technology topics like Python, cyber security, and 5G.
About Award Solutions, Inc.
Award Solutions is the trusted training partner to the world's best networks. We help companies tackle new technologies by equipping their teams with knowledge and skills. Award Solutions invests heavily in technology, research, engineering, and labs to ensure our customers make the most of their resource and network investments.
Award’s expertise extends across many technologies including 5G/LTE Access 5G/4G Core, VoNR/VoLTE, Transport Networks, Telco Cloud, Virtualization and Orchestration, Data Automation, and more!