What if retention was more about triggering memories than traditional "rinse and repeat" memorization of a small number of features? You probably remember Pneumonic Devices from Psych 101. In essence, they are images, associations, word pictures, stories, activities that help us remember important information.
Here's a borderline example of how this works from my World Civ II final 12 years ago — the Huguenots. Instead of saying over and over "the Huguenots were a French Protestant group established in the 1500's by John Calvin." I made a little picture in my head. First I looked at the word "Huguenots" — looks a bit like "Huge Nots" doesn't it? Second I thought about what I knew about the French. As a 19-year old all I could think of was that French women didn't shave their arm pits — or so I was told. So, my picture was of a french woman with huge nots in her armpits. I know, not a pretty sight. But I bet that you will never forget that the Huguenots were French. Right?
Studies show that stories and senses make great memory joggers. And, if you use them right, a learner can take home 5 to 10 times more information than with traditional methods — a Top 50 list? Maybe.
Chime in: Think about your role in the creative process. How can you infuse triggers into what you create. Could we use things that salespeople see every day as triggers to help them remember? What could that be like?...
5 comments:
Need to teach you something new about Les Francais!
I like the idea of Pnemonic Devices, but how do we educate about what it is?...without having to waste time with learning about pnemonic devices, and instead getting right into using them? Cuz a top 5 or top 10 list is easy...as soon as you say it, everyone knows what kind of learning they're in for. But when you say, "Hey, we're gonna use pnemonic devices to learn the top 25 features of the new Kia Borrego..." all of a sudden we're gonna lose a lot of people, just trying to educate about the concept of the learning, not the learning itself.
But it's a really interesting question that's worth trying to find a solution for. Maybe it can be as simple as "nugget-with-picture"...for example, you teach that something's got 450hp/410lb-ft torque, and everytime you mention that, there's a pic of an engine on-screen (or in the workbook). That's an oversimplification of it, but I guess the idea probably comes across.
Alternatively, we could set it up in the context of a story. Like this: I was going out for groceries in my new Borrego. There was some slowpoke in a Ford Explorer in front of me and I quickly hopped on the gas and brought all 450 horses to life, leaving him in the slow lane! When I got to the light and had to sit in the sun for a couple minutes I sure was grateful for my ventilated front seats. The ride home was a breeze with all the cargo room in the back which accommodated my extra purchases for the BBQ this weekend.
That's a fairly lame example, but in the context of a story the pnemonics devices may be easier to retain/teach...and probably won't need an actual introduction.
I feel like I'm starting to trail off into something off-track of pnemonic devices...this is gonna take a few more brain cycles.
Word-pictures! Hmmmmm...
Yeah, you're getting it. A Pneumonic Device can be anything that helps you remember. Taking it a step further, what if we used typical dealership items to help them remember? Studies show that you remember better when you learn the information in the place where you use it. That's where simulated work environments can help.
The thing that keeps rolling around in my head are those memory courses where some memory guru teaches a stranger from the crowd to remember 50 people's names or a large number of objects. It takes a short time and they never forget what they learned. There has to be an application in what we do.
Maybe we could use certain images to associate with specific features and their respective benefits. For example, if we show an image of a helmet, it would conjure up images of safety and head protection. We could then tie that in to the fact that Borrego features standard side-curtain air bags to protect occupants' heads. Then we could show an image of a neck brace. People would start picturing painful whiplash or other associated neck injuries. We could then explain how Borrego's standard front active headrests help minimize neck injuries in rear-end collisions. And so on and so forth. I know it's a very rudimentary approach, but it could be a simple way to create triggers for participants.
I like the helmet idea. Keep 'em coming.
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