Seventh Time’s the Charm
When you think of repetition, what comes to mind? Repetition doesn’t have to mean boring, rote memorization. In fact, it should be incorporated into all adult learning curricula to generate the greatest impact. The rule you’ll hear within the learning community and beyond is the Rule of Seven. This rule has been made more popular in marketing, with the concept that you need to get a concept/idea/product in front of an individual seven times before they take action. In the learning world this also rings true.
This doesn’t mean that each time you refer to a concept or piece of information that you repeat it the same way. Whatever you’re trying to teach can be presented, illustrated, explained, or discussed in any manner of ways to keep driving home what you want your learners to remember… you just have to bring the focus back to that point at least seven times to solidify it in their minds.
Don’t roll your eyes just yet! I know what you’re thinking, “Seven times? Won’t that be obvious, annoying, and bore my learners?” The answer is really no, when you start to put this into practice. Already in this blog I’ve told you five times that you need to repeat something seven times for it to stick. All it takes is a little creativity, context, and the ability to count to seven to create better outcomes for your learners. Plus, the pay off of retention is far more valuable than being worried about a little extra repetition.
These seven nudges can also come in the form of module recaps, key takeaways, wrap-ups, and summaries.
Need a helping hand to implement this strategy? Give us a call.
