Current educational technology, such as computer-based instruction, has been found to be disappointing. Recent research has suggested that the design of current learning technologies relies on erroneous assumptions about how the human mind learns. The human mind has evolved to assimilate and store information through social interaction. For virtually the entire period of human existence, learning has occurred in social environments by listening to others and engaging with them. As a result of this conditioning over millennia, the human mind depends on social cues to facilitate learning. Most current educational technologies are devoid of such cues. Even videos of human speakers do not provide real social interaction where the verbal and non-verbal cues of one party are responsive to those of the other party.

Recent studies have shown the positive impact of emotional expression and facial movement on engagement and attention during learning and the long-term retention of information. Also, it has been found that the presence of social clues during learning makes the information provided seem more reliable and trustworthy. Consequently, technologies used to help people learn should provide information in the way the human mind has evolved to receive it. Until such technologies are developed, face-to-face training should be a mainstay of human education and training. These findings are particularly notable for the field of process safety where practitioners and facility personnel must engage in continuous learning both to stay abreast of new developments and to maintain their knowledge and skills.

This topic is discussed in the article:

D. DeSteno, C. Breazeal, and P. Harris, The Secret to a Good Robot Teacher, New York Times, August 27, 2017.