Cognotion is developing a suite of learning solutions that are optimized for the unique needs of young adults, especially focusing on the growing issue of unemployment and underemployment both in the US and abroad. Their mission is to change the face of healthcare, improve outcomes for patients and empower the dedicated workers that serve this challenging industry. They craft Optimal Learning Experiences—emotionally and cognitively intense training and test prep applications that combine interactive video narratives with gamified learning modules, augmented by live simulation and social media reinforcement. It’s a formula that delivers immediate, lasting results. Cognotion operates on the premise that there is narrative inherent in any teachable subject. They locate this narrative and craft it into an immersive storyline. The learner progresses through the story by drawing upon existing resources and synthesizing new knowledge. Emotional proximity is characterized as the “empathy and identification the learner feels for the characters in a program” and is established by developing characters with strengths and weaknesses, who change and grow as the program moves forward. Learners recognize their own desires and concerns in the prototypical heroes, people with traits similar to their own, and people who learn to draw upon their own reserves of strengths (assets) for the greater good. This approach, grounded in research, is a good foundation for a sound program; but there are other tools they add to their pedagogical design to maximize likelihood of impact.
