Another recent and fascinating article posting from Don Clark's site on the linkage between 'arousal' and learning. Don draws on current thinking around arousal and motivation. He defines arousal as 'how much capacity you have available to work with' and looks as the level of arousal in a group or person as an indicator of their motivation for change.
The article explores the implications for arousal levels for trainers, and also considers the linkages between anxiety and arousal. This is fascinating material in the context of trainers as risk-managers and safety-creators for learning.
Ends by looking at the idea of an 'optimum arousal point' which might be considered the best learning zone for anyone engaged in learning and developing.