RYSEM model is a validated pedagogical modality to increase learner retention of knowledge. Please contact me so I can help your organization get increased traction on your knowledge transfer assets.

2. Designing multi-cultural social- and
behaviour-based content results in
increased knowledge retention
beyond traditional intervention
metrics
DR. ROBIN YAP, LLB, MSC, DM, POSTDOC, CTDP, CHRE
ROBOT/AI ETHICIST AND SOCIAL DATA SCIENTIST
PROFESSOR, CENTRE FOR BUSINESS, GEORGE BROWN COLLEGE
CHAIR, RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD @ROBINYAP

3. why am I here?
freedom + choice
otherwise boredom

4. ventral striatum
seeking system
relevant + interesting

5. background
• situation: college system
• parameter: org behaviour class
• learners: multi-cultural students
• content: social- and behaviour-based
• goal: increased knowledge retention

6. beyond VAKT

7. storytelling? definitely
experiential learning?
of course!

8. what is a social experiment?

9. social experiment is a research project conducted with
human subjects in the real world
social psychology experiments can explain how thoughts,
feelings and behaviors are influenced by the presence of
others
social experiment is a real field experimentation of how
people/society react to situations both real/hypothetical

10. in our context, a social experiment is a pedagogical
modality of placing students in the “real world” to
determine authentic reaction from everyday people
for the purpose of enhancing the tools we provide
them before we send them off to the “real world”
when they graduate from the program.

11. how can you teach 142 concepts in 15 weeks (@ 3
hours/week) and still ensure learners retain all the content?
let’s work with 16 concepts today

12. Leadership
Collaboration
Relationship Building
Perception of Skills
Awareness of one’s skills
Locus of Control (internal
and/or external)
Social Signaling
Innovation
Halo
Projection
Stereotyping
Competition
Creativity
Rewards
Authenticity in public
Transparency

13. RYSEM
robin yap’s social experiment
modality

14. SETUP
learning assets
UDL
video, text, audio
social media, infographics,
virtual and augmented reality,
360 videos, podcasts, analytics
EXPERIMENT
Scaffold each
activity into the one
modality (social
experiment)
Conduct in public
Merge
•Debrief
•Review
•Update to keep
current
RY Social Experiment Modality

15. Student’s Willingness

16. Longer Development Cycle

17. METHODOLOGY
Challenge: Scores (Quantitative)
and Pedagogical Modality
(Qualitative)
Solution: Create a Dummy
Variable to convert use of Modality
(v=1) and Non-Use of Modality
(v=0)
Data: Scores (Quantitative) and
Variable (Quantitative)
Method: Linear Regression
Analysis

18. STUDY FINDINGS
Average or
mean
11%
increase!!
Population:
 4220 post-grad and
Hons. BA Bus
students
 105 classes
 Mixed Canadians,
Immigrants, and
Newcomers
 ~40 students / class
Social
Experiment
Traditional
Modality
Duration:
 4 Years
 11% increase in
knowledge retention
6 months post-
intervention
(ANOVA results)
F test: Significance F = 0.007537992
(99%) Type 1 error

19. UNEXPECTED AHA STUDY FINDINGS
ESL:
 Increase in ESL
students’ passing
scores

20. RYSEM
 SETUP: All learning assets reviewed before social experiment
 EXPERIMENT: Simple social experiments first to gain
confidence
 MERGE: Strong debrief

21. your next steps
DIGITAL SOCIAL EXPERIMENT

22. Select
References
Please connect with me
on LinkedIn for
consulting, speakership,
and collaboration
@robinyap
 Neuroscience of Boredom https://youtu.be/pfY6UbCYd40
 Bored out of your mind at work?Your brain is trying to tell you something. | Dan Cable
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LodHArsgZ-I
 Ball, S. (2018). Classroom Experiments.
https://serc.carleton.edu/sp/library/experiments/index.html
 Bloom, H. (2005) Learning More from Social Experiments: Evolving AnalyticApproaches.
NewYork, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.
 Cook,T. & Shadish,W. (1994) Social Experiments: Some Developments over the Past Fifteen
Years
 Cristea,G. (2012). Psychological Pedagogy Paradigm. Retrieved from https://ac.els-
cdn.com/S1877042813006472/1-s2.0-S1877042813006472-main.pdf?_tid=857e09b1-d170-
4c9c-979c-ce423a64a2aa&acdnat=1544652206_1e3cb64ec32472342bdba081d810dce6
 Annual Review of Psychology. 45, 545-580
https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.ps.45.020194.002553
 Harrison, D. et.al. (2006). “It’s Just a Method!”A Pedagogical Experiment In Interdisciplinary
Design. Retrieved from https://www.fxpal.com/publications/its-just-a-method-a-
pedagogical-experiment-in-interdisciplinary-design.pdf
 InsightTeam (2015). EXPERIMENTS WITH PEDAGOGY: INNOVATIVETEACHING
PRACTICES ON CAMPUS. Retrieved from http://www.fundamatics.net/article/experiments-
with-pedagogy/
 Jarhling, R. (2012). Experimental Pedagogy, the Science of Education. Retrieved from
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08919402.1923.10532906?journalCode=vzps2
0
 Orr, Larry. (1999). Social Experiments.Thousand Oaks, CA.: Sage Publications.