AFERR

Historical Context

The AFERR model was first described by its creator, Mohsin Memon, in his paper “The Future of Learning - The AFERR Model, A Holistic and Neuroscientic Approach to Learning” published in Perspectives on Learning Science.  
Since publishing this paper in 2024, Mohsin Memon has led presentations on the topic at prestigious institutions like Stanford School of Medicine, UN-sponsored UNESCO Games for Change, IIT Madras.

Relevance to Evivve’s Ecosystem

Evivve serves as a prime example of the AFERR model in action. Through providing strategic challenges and real-time feedback, Evivve allows players to experience the full spectrum of the AFERR model, from Activation to Reflection. This approach makes it an invaluable tool for L&D professionals seeking to foster critical workplace skills. Evivve also provides an example to facilitators and learning experience developers of the required pacing to ensure that all five aspects of the AFERR model are covered. For any game both facilitators and players can be tempted to concentrate on the main activity of playing the game, without activating interest sufficiently before they start, or leaving sufficient time and energy for reflection afterwards to consolidate any learning outcomes - the AFERR model shows that every phase is important to obtaining the most value out of a learning activity.

Key Components or Features

• Activation: This phase ignites curiosity and motivation by allowing learners to take control of their learning journey, which is critical for engagement.
• Forecasting: Encourages strategic planning by enabling learners to anticipate outcomes and plan accordingly, leveraging their pre-existing knowledge.
• Experimentation: Provides a practical application of knowledge, crucial for developing real-world skills, while providing a safe-to-fail environment suited for experimentation.
• Realization: Focuses on understanding the consequences of actions, promoting deeper cognitive integration.
• Reflection: Essential for memory consolidation and long-term retention of knowledge.

AFERR’s Basis in Neuroscience

The AFERR model integrates key elements of cognitive neuroscience with educational best practices. By giving players autonomy over how they approach a learning game, rather than imposing strict instructions or limited options, a game based on the AFERR model Activates player interest by providing an autonomous environment that increases dopamine levels, enhancing attention, motivation, and engagement. The AFERR model then moves on to Forecasting. Cognitive neuroscience research has demonstrated that engaging in planning activities enhances working memory and strengthens the neural pathways responsible for strategic thinking.

When learners engage in hands-on experimentation, the brain activates multiple regions, including the motor and sensory cortices, the hippocampus (responsible for memory formation), and the prefrontal cortex (which guides decision-making). This will enable players to integrate the new knowledge gained from the learning experience. Following on from that experimentation is the realization phase, again engaging the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, as players process the results of their experiments within the learning environment.

Finally we come to the Reflection phase, and Neuroscience research shows that reflection plays a crucial role in memory consolidation and cognitive integration, the brain's Default Mode Network (DMN) is activated, and the hippocampus and neocortex work together to consolidate these new concepts and integrate them with existing knowledge.

AFERR Beyond the Evivve Game

As shown in the section above, AFERR gives learning experience developers a framework to apply to their own efforts. Evivve is an example of the AFERR model in use, but the framework is applied to other games, and other learning experiences. The emphasis on activating the participant’s interest is key to any learning experience, and similarly the framework ending on reflection goes beyond common practice, highlighting that it is not necessarily to merely complete a learning task, but that reflecting on the methods used enables each participant to be a better learner in subsequent experiences, as well as having consolidated the knowledge from a specific session.