Using Stories to remember technical information

Many of you will remember the story (The Planets) we use on courses to demonstrate how you can remember sequences and technical information easily using association and story. This week's tip comes from Lesley Dixon who recently used the story below to help her learners remember the steps and stages in controlling hazards. Lesley facilitates a two day course by the end of which the participants have to produce a full HACCP study on a food process in their business.

Before our more tender subscribers begin weeping - she told her learners afterwards that none of the story is true. The seven principles are highlighted in blue.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

About 10 years ago, my marriage was in difficulty. We were no longer talking, listening or touching each other.

I knew for certain on the day I awoke to find a sheer metal trip wire strategically placed at the top of the staircase. For a few seconds I stood, feeling horrified. If I had tripped, I would have ended up in crumpled heap at the bottom of the stairs.

ANALYSE THE HAZARDS

What sort of injuries would I have sustained? All I could see was a vision of myself in hospital, in intensive therapy, wearing a tee-shirt which said CRITICALLY COMOTOSE PERSON. Identify CRITICAL CONTROL POINTS

I had to do something very quickly. as could not tolerate this situation any longer. ESTABLISH TOLERANCES. Grabbing the yellow pages, I quickly leafed through to the Private Detectives and then I dialled the first number. "Please would you monitor my husbands activities and let me know what he is up to." MONITOR

Within two weeks, they informed me that he was having an affair. As far as I was concerned there was only one thing to do. CORRECTIVE ACTIONS

I went to my solicitors, filled in a lot of forms, signed them, produced my marriage certificate ESTABLISH DOCUMENTATION and within 6 months I was divorced.

I took a holiday with some friends and on the first night when I was celebrating my new found freedom, I suddenly realised when I used my credit card that it still had the word Mrs. in front of my surname - so I sorted that out as soon as I got home ! REVIEW PROCEDURES

Lesley reports that this story worked extremely well - and all her students could rattle off the procedure with no trouble at all. It would have been even more effective had Lesley asked them to create their own story (anything the learners create for themselves is usually ten times more powerful) and she has decided to try this next time!

This week's action suggestion

Identify some piece of content (a process, procedure, technical facts, a model) that you'd like your learners to remember, and plan how you could use story and association. Remember, the story is like scaffolding around a building - after a few repetitions, you don't need the story any more - the information has been transferred into long-term memory.

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