Comments on: Scented Learning

By: S. Knudsen

S. Knudsen — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 17:56:20 +0000

A company called Bionetics Photo Services has developed a multisensory learning system that was tested by the Georgia Dept. of Education and appears to aid in content intake and retention. Check it out at http://www.photoservices.net/bps/Projects.html

By: Lisa Gualtieri

Lisa Gualtieri — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:50:09 +0000

Classroom and online education often consists of contrived situations to encourage learning and retention. Not to mention that real life has no soundtrack but movies do to build emotional response.

By: Jillian

Jillian — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 16:39:05 +0000

This is a really interesting topic. I never really thought about scent in regards to learning at all, but have thought about its strong implications in terms of memory. Sometimes a scent can recall a particular moment in your life, a place, or a feeling. For me, emotion and mindset are very closely tied in with scent – for example, I’ve changed which perfumes or body sprays I’ve used throughout the years and if I notice someone else wearing one from the past, I can remember exactly where I was emotionally and what my mindset was. So, I guess in terms of learning – say, pine and calculus – but it would have to be so deliberate that I’m not sure it would work. I know there is most likely a lot of science behind this phenomenon, but personally, if I made a huge effort to tie together scent and concepts to learn, I’m not sure it would work – the association was always effortless before, so would intentional linkage be successful?

By: Peter Shea

Peter Shea — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 19:16:06 +0000

I have been (half)joking for years in my classes that scents are the great unused tool in learning, given the well smells can trigger memories.

By: John Sener

John Sener — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 10:35:15 +0000

A few comments:
Scented learning is largely missing from the classroom experience as well. I wonder if this is another indicator that online learning is more likely to attract experimentation.
One possible reason why it’s been ignored previously: our lack of widely distributed expertise about it. Could your idea presage the dawn of a need for a new literacy – olfactory literacy?
Its application to learning is not readily apparent, is it? How would scents enhance recall or learning environments? Environments I can think of where scents are paramount – shops that sell incense, pine forests, perfume counters at department stores – do not readily associate with learning for me. So I’m not sure what would make me try it.
Ah, I just thought of one: the smell of a book – now figure out how to send that digitally and you may be onto something… 😉

By: Janet Clarey

Janet Clarey — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 11:49:52 +0000

Thanks for picking this up. I find it a fascinating concept. I've said this before but I recall on online master's class where we had to provide a response to "what's missing from the online learning experience?" I said smell. Now, I don't know what I'd say. My Google profile says, under "something I still can't find on google": the pleasure or displeasure of olfaction. I suppose I'll have to change that soon.