“Memory can change the shape of a room. It can change the color of a car and memories can be distorted. They’re just an interpretation. They’re not a record. They’re irrelevant if you have the facts”.
Quote from the film Memento.
Most of the people memorize better either what happens first or what they see first.
Therefore, in a Learning Experience, the facilitator should take advantage of the beginning and start with something really powerful instead of giving information about logistic of the event, like where the toilets are located, for example.
Recent events also help. Learning Partners easily remember their last experiences or the last they learnt. Mixing the recent events with the last ones, work very well. It’s possible to increase Learning Partners’ retention by covering new material at the beginning of the experience and using the last moment to review it. In order to increase retention, is better to have multiple short brakes rather than few long ones. Besides, having more brakes allow you to have more initial moments!
A brake does not necessarily mean going out of the classroom, it could be just a change in the strategy.
The use of the rule 90-20-8 is a knowledge I got from the great facilitator Robert “Bob” Pike (www.bobpikegroup.com). It consists on having a full brake (10 – 15’’) every ninety minutes, depending on the intellectual or physical demand of the activity; a body and brain activation every twenty minutes and a different learning strategy every 8 minutes.
Every learning Experience should become unique. Surprising, unusual, strange or particular elements, reinforce our memory. These are some ideas to make our learning experiences unique:
Creating an unusual environment so that only entering, learning partners realize the experience is different. Rearranging tables and chairs; decorating the room, using toys, candies or any other element you may consider. Generating suspense when introducing a new topic. Using songs, music and mnemonics.
Remember: Emotions help. Positive emotions reinforce the retention of information. It is very important for Learning Partners to feel comfortable, in an enjoyable, safe and funny environment. Use pictures, films and cartoons in order to emphasize the contents. These resources tend to activate pleasant and positive emotions.
Give chances to people to connect with themselves as well as with each other. The contact with how they feel, and the chance to create new friends, allow them to make strong links in the memory.
Use visual resources without abusing of them. People remember better what they see as well as what they listen to.
Stick some visual helps on the walls, such as graphics, brain maps and any other element full of images and colors that can be even made by the Learning Partners. Use images in the presentation but not in an excessive way, the same as colors. Remember, visual resources are to the presentation what spices are to food: If they are abused, you will not be successful.
From the three laws of memory: repeating, impacting and associating, the one I like the most is: repeating, repeating, repeating!
Repetition is the key for retention. It is necessary to give chances to the Learning Partners to practice the new information and storing it in their long time memory. It is also key that they repeat it differently each time to avoid boredom.
What do you remember of what you have read?
Leave your comments, please!
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