How to create a learning zone or flow state for learners whether it's face to face or online

1. Creating the Learning Zone
Getting into the zone is hard - creating one for learners is even harder. We’ve all been there,
whether it’s a learning zone, the zone, or a flow state. But how can we create a state of
perfect focus where the learner is not consciously thinking about things; where they are
learning at an optimum rate? Create powerful learning environments by using key longer
term strategies and get some early successes by employing essential tactics immediately.
To help your learners into a flow state, the Learning Zone, invest time in relevant, authentic
and meaningful learning environments that create an emotional connection. Meanwhile try
audio triggers at the start of learning, get them to exercise and eat well, and use prompt
positive reinforcement.
Get rid of the Distractions
There’s only so much influence we have over learners but it’s what the learners do before
they learn that can realise an immediate benefit. Before the learner starts there should be a
routine of exercising, eating and sleeping well so that they aren’t distracted by hunger,
tiredness or illness. They just won’t get into that learning zone if they are.
Beyond the physical distractions, learners should work on eliminating the internal ones such
as stress and anything cluttering their mind. Some learners will rid themselves of
distractions by meditating; others could spend a fixed time (five minutes should do it)
writing down the issues or concerns that are dominating their thoughts. Tell them they can
pick it up afterwards.
Most importantly, put the phone away.
Seriously - close apps, alerts and all other
manner of beeps, clicks and vibrations that
will break learner concentration
If you want to get your learners in the zone, do your best to get them to cut out sugar from
their diet. The evidence is compelling. I taught in a school which had several snack
machines dotted around the school grounds - it was no wonder that some kids would come
to lessons so wired from sugar and caffeine that the lesson was little more than an exercise
in behaviour management.
If you are a self paced learner then have a coffee to get into the learning zone. Again,
there’s compelling evidence to show that this works but you have to find the happy medium
of having enough but not too much.
Where are you?
In broad terms - think about the environment. Some people get into the zone at cafes,
bakeries or pubs. For others it’s somewhere quiet like a library, study area or at home.
Ideally this will be in a place that is secure
and personal or at least available and
adaptable. Somewhere where the desk and

2. chair, mouse and monitor are at the right
height and position.
In a classroom that’s hard - what may help is sitting next to or near the right person. Not
necessarily a friend but the one the learner works well with. For some the best place in a
classroom is in a corner, next to a window or having the desk hard and fast to the teacher’s
desk or even right at the back of the room. In a face to face environment there are so many
potential distractions, choosing the right place may help.
Start with Relatable, Fun and Noisy
It’s very important that the start of the learning experience is a good one and ideally that
should try to establish an emotional connection between the learner and the learning.
Learning, like so much in life, is so much more powerful if it is based on a relationship. If the
learner can see straight away, before anything has started, that the learning is relevant,
authentic, meaningful and in some way fun or positive in tone, then the Learning Zone
is more likely to be realised.
Find a shared and positive point of context from which to launch the learning. It might be a
commonly known location, person or pastime. By sharing a common value or experience
you are deepening an emotional relationship between the learner and what they’re doing
and thus increasing their chance of success.
I started a learning environment for teenagers in my hometown of Adelaide. I used an image
of an art sculpture known as the “Malls Balls” which is a well known meeting point in a
shopping precinct. The teenage learners related to it and associated the image with personal
time, fun time with friends and put them in a positive frame of mind. The learners were much
more engaged thereafter.
Use an audio trigger - let’s invent the
Learning Fanfare. We all recognise a news
theme tune and respond appropriately. Why
shouldn't we have a learning theme tune
that sets us up to learn?
Critics might say that this is no more than a pavlovian response, but it does prime the
learner for a learning state that is alert and attentive. We could do something similar to the
news that has a combination of horns, bass, strings and drums - the blend of excitement,
important and interesting.
From Comfort to Chaos: Getting in the right Zone
The comfort zone and the chaos zone share one thing in common, you learn nothing.

3. This is the zone where you’re trying to get your learners. It’s monstrously hard to do this in a
classroom as everyone learns at different rates but can be done if they’re self directing their
learning. Scherer and Csikszentmihalyi have done significant research in flow states and
both say that learners should be broadly happy (in a good space emotionally and physically)
and challenged (not succeeding 100% of the time … more like 60-80%) and even a little
agitated (probably more as a result of their 60-80% success rate than anything artificially
concocted).

4. This above image shows the level of challenge or difficulty on the Y axis and the learner’s
skill level or abilities running along the X axis. The area of Flow is shown in a zone in
between the boredom of a Comfort zone and the anxiety of a Chaos zone. Below is the zone
whereby the challenge is too low for the learner’s skillset and the above zone shows the
zone where skill is insufficient for the challenge.
Create a learning environment that builds
on expertise but forces the learner to take
on challenges that lead to an identified goal.
This is not an easy fix but will garner
impressive results over time.
Good Learning Design
Good Learning Design will keep you in the zone and support your learning flow. Specifically,
what learners need is Immediate and appropriate feedback. Yep, this is the hard stuff
that will take longer to design and build because you need to plan your learning so that
the learner is immediately notified that they’ve either succeeded or failed. The most time

5. efficient way of doing this is to automate it. Get them to do a quick quiz online and have the
assessment automated so that the learner knows straight away how they have done.
Once you set up your learners how do you get them emotionally engaged - make them go
woah! It’s hard - there’s no easy fix (especially if they’re teenagers!) but hopefully you will
have something of a relationship with your learners and you need to leverage your
knowledge of them to impress them. Even if you don’t know them well or even at all, impress
yourself by being excellent. Reach for the stars, aim to present awe inspiring learning and
you just might engage a learner.
One theme, or attitude, to embrace is positivity. An easy example and one used for
younger learners is a direction to walk. There was a time when big signs were erected in
schools that said ‘Don’t Run’. They were negative, and weren’t as successful as signs that
say ‘Walk on the left of the hall’. Another failure is telling people, “Don’t look down” - what do
you do? You look down, There’s many reasons why you do that but the key takeaway here
is to keep it positive in both terms of the language used and in the tone of what is written.
Always look to encourage - it just works in the long run.
Some of the most successful styles of books in recent years have been written by Malcolm
Gladwell, and, IMHO, their success is based on the pleasant surprise they present. The
same can be said for a popular TV show called “QI” - seriously check it out if you don’t know
it. It can be beautifully summed up as a show that makes you say “Ooh, I didn’t know
that”. That pleasant surprise is very powerful. It makes you want to share it with others and
as soon as you do it lingers in the mind more than having simply read it.
But what all these things do is create/generate an emotional response - an emotional
connection. Emotion is a strong motivator and a strong sustainer. Hate is good at motivating
but we’re in the learning game not the “invade a neighbouring country” game. Keep your
strategies positive, emotional, awe-inspiring and surprising. And while you’re at it use tactics
such as finding a good physical space, signposting the start of getting into the learning zone
and providing a tight feedback loop. All these things can be done. Some can be done simply,
others will take time but all can be employed to steer the learner to that hallowed learning
zone.
Oh, and eat your greens.