We remember better what we have searched for
A question we really asked ourselves, a clue we found on our own: why exploring helps memory, and what it changes when designing a module.
A training course can contain all the right information and leave no trace. Conversely, a puzzle we solved, a clue we found on our own, a situation where we had to choose stay with us far longer. Good news: research points the same way, with one important nuance.
Wanting to know the answer
Researchers have shown that curiosity peaks when we half know: not when we know nothing, nor when we are sure of ourselves. The most curious participants also remembered the answers better, even two weeks later (Kang et al., 2009).
Producing rather than reading
What we find ourselves is better remembered than what we read. This is called the generation effect, shown as early as 1978 (Slamecka and Graf).
Searching, but not alone
Leaving learners to fend for themselves does not work: a meta-analysis of 164 studies (Alfieri et al., 2011) shows that unassisted discovery does worse than explicit instruction. Guided discovery, with clues and feedback, does better.
What this changes for a module
A module like "The last workshop" builds on these three ideas: a letter, a missing key, clues hidden in paintings. The learner observes, explores, makes choices and moves forward through their discoveries, instead of going through screens.
With Thaleia, designers can build this kind of experience without technical skills: scenes to explore, hotspots, branching paths, immediate feedback. These works are laboratory experiments, not guarantees: they are leads for design.
Key takeaways
- Curiosity peaks when we half know.
- What we find ourselves is better remembered than what we read.
- Exploring works better when guided: clues, a narrative thread, feedback.
Sources
- Kang, M. J. et al. (2009). The wick in the candle of learning. Psychological Science, 20(8), 963-973.
- Slamecka, N. J., Graf, P. (1978). The generation effect: Delineation of a phenomenon. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Learning and Memory, 4(6), 592-604.
- Alfieri, L. et al. (2011). Does discovery-based instruction enhance learning? Journal of Educational Psychology, 103(1), 1-18.
Content to turn into an experience? Let's look together at how to move from training we read to training we explore.
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