Dr. Elliot Jardin: How to use your Brain to Train

The Credit Union Leadership Podcast

Our mission with this podcast is to serve hope clearly, providing access to industry perspectives in the credit union movement. We want to raise leaders who focus on creating a culture around sales and service. We believe this will improve the financial well-being of our members and change the world.

We aim to reach 65,000 new learners within the credit union movement by the end of 2026. Our podcast plays a massive role in that number, with well over 25,000 podcast downloads.

Today we bring on friend of the podcast, co-author with Albrecht, and Associate professor at Miami University in the neuroscience and human behavior department, Dr. Elliott Jardin.

Dr. Elliott Jardin, an Assistant Professor in Miami University's Social and Behavioral Science department, researches individual differences in cognition. His specific focus is on learning, neuroscience, and cognitive aging. He is an award-winning teacher who credits his research on learning to his success in the classroom. One of his main initiatives is to make science more accessible to people outside of academia.

Company Website: https://miamioh.edu/regionals/profiles/elliott-jardin.html

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elliott-jardin-ph-d-66734277/

Brain Health Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brain-health-with-dr-jardin/id1536539944

Podcast Appearance with Albrecht: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/what-struggling-teams-are-missing/id1688109033?i=1000646786092.

Dr. Jardin's mission aligns with our mission, and that is why we brought him on to discuss the following:

• Neural Science of learning and development
• Post learner experience – How can I best exploit the resources given to me in a training.
• How should credit unions prepare employees for learning and development engagements?
• How can we develop our communication skills to articulate ideas and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders within and outside the credit union?

Motivation, Emotion, and Learning: A Conversation With Elliott

Scott Albrecht and Dr. Elliott discussed the role of motivation and emotions in learning. Elliott highlighted the importance of tailoring learning activities to align with motivation and the role of dopamine in motivation and enjoyment. He emphasized the significance of emotional content in memories and the role of challenge level in learning and development. Elliott suggested the existence of a 'Goldilocks Zone' where the challenge level is adequate and depends on individual factors. They also touched on the role of phased learning spaced over time, with repetition key to long-term memory retention.

Neuroplasticity, Emotion, and Attention Networks

Elliott explained the concept of neuroplasticity and its role in memory retention, stating that repeated use of resources helps strengthen the connections between neurons. The group discussed its application to learning and development, with Scott Anderle inquiring how repetition could influence long-term retention. Elliott elaborated on how emotional connections, such as those tied to music, can regulate emotions and affect memory retention. The group also discussed the function of the dorsal and ventral attention networks in the brain, with Elliott explaining the focus of each and Scott Anderle proposing that individuals can train themselves to improve their ventral attention network. Elliott suggested that mindfulness meditation could help strengthen the dorsal attention network.