As the old saying goes, “Timing
is everything.” As an Instructor, this
aspect of teaching is more than crucial to greatly aid in the retention of your
learning objective. If you have taken
the time to transfer your information to another person, then take the time to
present it in a way that they will easily remember it.
It’s not just how you say it, but when.
International Educational
Consultant David A. Sousa wrote a great book called How The Brain Learns (2006).
In the section on Memory,
Retention, and Learning he discusses the outcome of studies done on when
new information should be presented, when the best time to mentally manipulate
the information for better understanding, and even when to have fun!
- Present new
information first
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Give a brief overview of the big picture.
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Follow with all
of your multi-sensory, multiple learning approaches with the new information to
relay the details.
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The more “tags” you put on the information, the
more “tags” your brain has to pull it back into working memory when needed.
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Timing: use
almost half of your time for the new
information. 40 minutes total time? Then spend just shy of 20 minutes with the
presentation.
- Practice time
in the middle
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“Practice makes
permanent” so provide guided practice and
rehearsal in order to organize
the information correctly
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Actively engage them in the process!
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Review how
the new fits in with the old learning experiences and knowledge. Create links, associations and patterns to what they already
know.
Ö
Timing: only 25% of the total time. For a 40 minute lesson, practice is only the
middle 10 minutes
- “Ah Ha!” closure at the end
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The second most
powerful learning time!
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All the previous
practice gives way to understanding how to apply
it.
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Take a brain break before starting another
learning session for better focus
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Timing: the last
10 minutes of a 40 minute session
This has changed my presentation
of information drastically, even in writing.
Previously, I explored by questioning what they already knew so that I could
link it to the new information. Unfortunately,
that was giving way to inaccurate answers being recalled. By providing the big picture first, I am
accurately providing the framework and patterns for the new information. It is in the guided practice downtime that I
am providing quick feedback so that they practice the new learning
correctly. I am helping them to manipulate
and link it to what they know during this time so that when we go back to
closure, how to apply it is fresh on their mind.
In regard to practicing the
presented information over a longer period of time, Dr. Sousa states that
initially, new learning periods should be grouped close together and then
distributed over time as review to increase recall.
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