Lots of twos: I’ve had two posts on two blogs come out each of the last two days. Both are blogs I regularly contribute to.
The concept explained in this post is simple: we tend to remember the start and end of things better than we remember the stuff in the middle. Anyone who has taken some kind of learning psych or cognitive psych type of course has formally learned about these primacy and recency effects (and of course, the concept still makes perfect sense to those who haven’t taken those courses).
But interestingly, I’ve noticed that many folks in training don’t apply these concepts to their work. In other words, even though they know that learners are likely to remember how courses start and end if we put effort into making it memorable, much of the training I see tends to start and end in very boring ways. It’s a lost instructional opportunity. And that’s the point of that most recent ILS blog post.
Again, not rocket science: In order to remember something newly learned, you have to apply it. Otherwise, it’s quickly forgotten. While “applying it” can mean using that newly learned information to complete a task, “applying it” can sometimes be as simple as talking about it.
I’m not the greatest at remembering obscure trivia…but if odd facts come up in a conversation, there’s a decent chance I’ll remember the factiod later. This article explains why that is and encourages readers to talk to peers about what they learn in continuing education courses.
So there’s my writing updates.
On a personal note, I’m still looking forward to heading to Elko for some cowboy poetry fun (not to mention a much needed four-day weekend)! My husband and I are hoping to volunteer at the event for one of the days we’re there. Nothing specific is planned yet, but I’ve been in touch with the organizers, so hopefully something comes through later in the week. Regardless, we’ve got a fun little road trip and an interesting weekend ahead!
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