tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post3672088029315238897..comments2024-02-16T08:32:46.618+00:00Comments on Donald Clark Plan B: 10 techniques to massively increase retentionDonald Clarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-3461338497055044032015-01-09T17:07:32.783+00:002015-01-09T17:07:32.783+00:00Great article! Thanks for sharing!Great article! Thanks for sharing!CogniSharphttp://kowahealthcare.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-63968766630357374492012-03-30T03:26:58.064+00:002012-03-30T03:26:58.064+00:00Excellent! Thanks for posting.Excellent! Thanks for posting.John Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-35662155332065602532010-06-23T00:04:26.036+00:002010-06-23T00:04:26.036+00:00I think it is less about mindless repeating of inf...I think it is less about mindless repeating of information - repartition, repartition, repartition of information/content (although there is something to be said about it)and more about repartition of the concepts in different contexts.<br /><br />I would be interested to hear your thoughts on how connectivist, constructivist theories and what role making meaning from the information you are learning and making connections to current knowledge base plays when using these tips.<br /><br />Also what are your thoughts of the old school behaviorist theories of learning - which included repartition?Jaqsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10318808147094809252noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-77874670376495376672010-06-17T11:35:18.912+00:002010-06-17T11:35:18.912+00:00Donald: "1. RELAX! A few lectures a week and ...Donald: "1. RELAX! A few lectures a week and they need 15/16 weeks to relax?"<br /><br />Sorry Donald, you've just lost me now. This is a ridiculous and flippant statement.<br />I suspect the previous commentator probably meant to indicate that summers are used on course preparation, admin and research. I know mine are. 15 week holiday? As if.<br />"Relax" in a relative sense only.Daniel Livingstonehttp://lg.dlivingstone.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-27814019725228071892010-06-11T09:17:48.006+00:002010-06-11T09:17:48.006+00:001. RELAX! A few lectures a week and they need 15/1...1. RELAX! A few lectures a week and they need 15/16 weeks to relax?<br />2. A more evenly spaced calendar wouldn't necessarily result in less time to work, just a more psychology of learning friendly calendar. In addition it gives the increased capacity to take in more students, reducing the low occupancy rates of the buildings.Donald Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00796341486328270474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-60846480293520584772010-06-11T09:09:25.288+00:002010-06-11T09:09:25.288+00:00#10 No student hols - and when would staff relax a...#10 No student hols - and when would staff relax and students earn the $$ to pay the feespaul martinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08882006528023573747noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-89318043800909910842010-06-08T20:26:24.743+00:002010-06-08T20:26:24.743+00:00Great post Donald but lets not forget practice, th...Great post Donald but lets not forget practice, this is not the way to learn to ride a bike ;)Dick Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05921893804004765428noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-35531584826875631522010-06-02T00:50:38.665+00:002010-06-02T00:50:38.665+00:00Thanks for the inspiration... I've been in cor...Thanks for the inspiration... I've been in corporate training and consulting for 30 years and have recently turned my attention to the pre-college years. I will follow up with a blog on increasing retention in the classroom. Good stuff! Thanks!Trinidad Hunthttp://trinidadhunt.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-88280400735632946312010-06-01T20:16:47.534+00:002010-06-01T20:16:47.534+00:00What a wonderful and useful post, Donald. I agree ...What a wonderful and useful post, Donald. I agree that the significance (and implementation) of retention strategies is WAY underrated. However, I don't share your opinion that retention is the "single most effective strategic change we could make to our learning interventions." <br /><br />For me, the #1 lever to push would be relevance. And in many ways, increasing the relevance reduces *some* of the need for retention strategies. As Roger Shank puts it, "The brain tends to remember that which it feels." <br /><br />Because so much of what passes for "learning content" today exists in non-emotional, non-meaningful contexts, we have no choice but to increase the *other* mechanisms for retention.<br /><br />I do believe that without retention, much of what we do is pointless; I'm just saying I think the key place to help push retention is at an earlier point. That said, if we're not able to make those changes (or for things that simply MUST be memorized and that don't implicitly live in a personally useful context (like, say, multiplication tables or programming or some programming language syntax), then yes -- retention strategies would be the best place to focus, and you've done a wonderful job with this list.<br /><br />I'd mix in recall strategies as well, though... things like using pictures, speaking it out loud, applying the new knowledge to novel situations, trying to explain it to others, discovering and/or organizing into patterns/chunks, and the importance of situation in recall (e.g. being in the same environment when you need it that you were in when you learned it, etc.)<br /><br />I'd love to hear more, though, including why you consider retention the key vs. retention *and* recall, although I will make a big assumption here that you're trying give us a *realistic* tool we can wrap our brains around and actually use :)<br /><br />Thanks for this post.Kathy Sierranoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-47382189357109885132010-06-01T18:16:25.508+00:002010-06-01T18:16:25.508+00:00Great post Donald. Absolutely correct that if we f...Great post Donald. Absolutely correct that if we focused half as much on ways to help learners retain information as we do on creating the content, we'd be farther ahead.rnantelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09096895440286771466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-80921311080197794452010-05-30T04:32:42.411+00:002010-05-30T04:32:42.411+00:00Could there be a point no. 11 like a 'use it o...Could there be a point no. 11 like a 'use it or lose it' comment? (or would it be part of the other 10 points? If the content is given alongside a course long project or assignment, then the content can be used, evaluated and applied in the project. It could also give meaning to remembering the content, and therefore help decrease retention loss???ajh432https://www.blogger.com/profile/03892721738808884950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-25666881205194369022010-05-29T18:03:22.842+00:002010-05-29T18:03:22.842+00:00wonderful post, Donald. Thanks.
I'm committed...wonderful post, Donald. Thanks.<br /><br />I'm committed to doing that very list, but execute imperfectly, I fear.<br /><br />The technologies help, by extending experiences, messages and expectations for practice over time and place. <br /><br />Hope you get many eyeballs.Allisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00263154990460205967noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-78062842553754246652010-05-29T13:45:17.884+00:002010-05-29T13:45:17.884+00:00Thank you, this article will help with my son.He h...Thank you, this article will help with my son.He had a stroke and to get the School to help has not been easy due to a stroke is not one of their lables.Again thanks for the info.<br />MichelleAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-50597325950067907972010-05-29T12:08:11.356+00:002010-05-29T12:08:11.356+00:00Donald, totally agree as you know. Retention is a ...Donald, totally agree as you know. Retention is a neglected area and something I have been pursuing for many years. Here are my posts on the matter that date back to 2006, when I put forward the concept of "Less Learning More Often" while in the US.<br /><br /><a href="http://larsislearning.blogspot.com/2008/01/less-learning-more-often-original.html" rel="nofollow">Less Learning More Often </a><br /><br /><a href="http://larsislearning.blogspot.com/2008/01/transfer-of-learning-missing-in-action.html" rel="nofollow">Transfer of Learning - Missing in Action </a><br /><br /><a href="http://larsislearning.blogspot.com/2009/07/move-aside-cpd-ups-is-here.html" rel="nofollow">Ubiquitious Performance Support </a><br /><br />Also a slide deck that promotes consideration of the spacing effect:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.slideshare.net/larshyland/lars-hyland-webinar-090709-reinventing-the-elearning-experience" title="Lars Hyland Webinar 090709 Re-inventing the E-learning Experience" rel="nofollow">Lars Hyland Webinar 090709 Re-inventing the E-learning Experience</a>Lars Hylandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14863947707581345099noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-44716825509140767442010-05-28T19:10:28.925+00:002010-05-28T19:10:28.925+00:00Brilliant. I am going to re-read this every time ...Brilliant. I am going to re-read this every time I am on the toilet for a week. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-78173655222168753872010-05-28T18:55:59.961+00:002010-05-28T18:55:59.961+00:00Great post. I agree completely with the problems ...Great post. I agree completely with the problems of how current instructional design is structured in LMSs. Spaced learning, reflecting, etc are excellent techniques for improving retention and recall.<br /><br />I blogged recently about how memory works, the role of the prefrotal cortex and hippocampus and how we can leverage web 2.0 technology to help improve retention and recall. <br />http://blogedutech.blogspot.com/2010/05/remember-what-you-read-anthropology.htmlNeil Mehtahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14898382215427962801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-59365817863346938682010-05-28T16:35:53.836+00:002010-05-28T16:35:53.836+00:00I found this site from a Tweet by Jane Hart today....I found this site from a Tweet by Jane Hart today. I am 110% in agreement with your 10 techniques, and find that I have been using most of them in my class for several years now, without ever haven taken the time to reflect on exactly what I was doing and how it was working. That changes as of now; and I will begin to spread the gospel amongst my associates. Thank you so much!hlord3https://www.blogger.com/profile/02785830662514018390noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-59034703600602523512010-05-28T16:03:11.871+00:002010-05-28T16:03:11.871+00:00I'm visiting your blog for the first time and ...I'm visiting your blog for the first time and want to thank you for your post. You are right, and it is amazing that this "fundamental truth in memory theory" is "totally ignored by most educators and trainers." It's so ironic that educators fail to learn and apply the "forgetting curve" principle, which is as proven empirically as it is entirely intuitive. The basic learning techniques you outline are simple and effective and apparently, extremely difficult for people to accept. Little by little, I suppose. In the meantime, my students will benefit from your advice. Thank you.Tatianahttp://www.worldstaracademy.com/p/bit-about-this-site.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-5789401663717151872010-05-28T12:52:32.090+00:002010-05-28T12:52:32.090+00:00Seriously? You're kidding, right Donald? You j...Seriously? You're kidding, right Donald? You just wanted to see if the learning community would swallow any old crap and then you're going to lampoon the sorry state of edubloggers.<br /><br />Forgetting curve - absolutely right in the context of formal learning. Rehearsal and levels of processing models of transfer to long-terms memory - complete bunkum and you should know better. First off - rehearsal. I sang the same hymns every morning at school (talk about little and often) - can't remember one of them. The whole notion that you transfer stuff into long-term memory by verbal rehearsal is completely ridiculous: I only have to see some things once and I remember them forever. What if you are unable to speak - are you therefore unable to remember anything?<br /><br />Levels of Processing was a little better - but didn't really get at the core mechanism. Superficially the deeper you process stuff (the more you think about it) the better you remember, but why is not explained by the model. Maybe its just because effort pays off. For sure the levels are wrong (visual, acoustic, semantic) since some things that I only glimpse I remember forever. It's an approximation to the Affective Context Model: if we attach affective context to information (whatever the 'level') then it is more likely to be remembered.<br /><br />So for the specifics: students don't rehearse content at set intervals. If they did, it wouldn't make much difference. They try to revise when they are getting anxious. That way the data has affective context. Successful students are the ones who get anxious way in advance (or even in the classroom) - or who care - and then spend more effort over a longer period making the information stick. True, there is research that backs up rehearsal - but if you aren't making sense of what you rehearse then it's pretty pointless (I have to punch in my Train ID number every week but still can't remember it). As for recording/taking notes - it would work better if students wrote down what they felt: what they disagreed with, what they loved. Intuitively good teachers know this - that's why they involve the class in debates.<br /><br />Some of the other suggestions are effective but only because they force people to attach meaning and affective context to things. I actually care passionately about learning, which is why I remember this type of stuff - whether I blog or not. Using it every day helps too - because it becomes part of my sense of self.<br /><br />We talk about the success of games and forget how many games fail. The ones that work, work because they grip us viscerally - the challenge, the action - but I should point out that many games flop, just as many learning interventions fail.<br /><br />In summary, it's a sorry state of affairs when a learning industry in 2010 is relying on dodgy theorising from the 1970s in order to get things right. This stuff belongs in the bucket with Kolb, Learning styles and NLP.shackletonjoneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03742707556911164797noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-53935190048900990992010-05-28T11:53:59.214+00:002010-05-28T11:53:59.214+00:00Item 3 is Blogging surely? Not Bogging?
Is this ...Item 3 is Blogging surely? Not Bogging? <br /><br />Is this a Freudian slip?Garry Plattnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21077063.post-3451495859194080092010-05-28T11:52:49.897+00:002010-05-28T11:52:49.897+00:00Hi Donald
As a cognitive psychologist, I can'...Hi Donald<br /><br />As a cognitive psychologist, I can't agree with you enough here. Repetition, repetition, repetition.<br /><br />I think there's a fundamental conflict of interest inherent in having shorter university holidays and also expecting staff to be able to take leave <em>and</em> get research done, but maybe that's a debate for another day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com