They are aware of the limitations of their learners’ capacity and they design sessions to create optimal conditions for maximum uptake.

In the 1960s, George Miller’s research into short-term memory uncovered the ‘magical number seven’.

He proposed that we can only hold seven, plus or minus two, items (or chunks) of information in our short-term memory. This means that anything more than nine will be either forgotten or sent to the long-term memory.

Here’s how it works: Imagine you need to go to the shop to buy a few items. You don’t bother to write a list because you don’t need many things. Perhaps it’s bread, carrots, tennis balls, soap, plastic wrap, dental floss, chocolate, dog food, deodorant, and bacon.

Based on Miller’s hypothesis, chances are you will forget at least one of these items and if you are ‘average’ you will likely forget three.

Miller’s research also explains why we sometimes feel overwhelmed when we are trying to remember too many things, or in a learning environment where we are trying to absorb too much new information.

So when we are designing learning environments we need to think about how we avoid information overload.

Three things to keep in mind:

1. Break your day up into four chunks of no more than 90 minutes each.
2. In each 90 minute chunk, deliver no more than five ideas.
3. Make sure you take a minimum of 15 minutes’ tea break in the morning and the afternoon to give participants a chance to absorb and process information.

This is an excerpt from my book, "Get Engaged".  You can buy your very own copy here.