BALTIMORE, USA – Fools!
I really love that word.
Try shouting it the next time you open the newspaper or the next time you walk out of a meeting with your boss.
Anyway, last week I promised to tell you another story about fools.
These fools I met in the book Made to Stick: The Science of Successful Learning.
Here’s the story.
Two groups of students.
One did massed learning — lots of studying, lots of focus, all in one day.
The other did spaced learning — a little be here, a little bit there, spaced out over several days.
Of course the second group won the test. The benefits of spaced learning are not new. And if you’ve been reading this weekly email for long you’ll know I like to teach it.
But here’s the interesting part – after the first group saw their results they STILL PREFERRED THEIR LESS EFFECTIVE METHOD!
As we say in English, the fools!
But why?
Because it felt more effective.
And that’s true.
When you focus on one thing for a long time you get better quickly.
But in the long-term, you forget faster.
Sugar is the perfect metaphor. It tastes good now, but in the long-term there’s no benefit.
Yet how many times have we gone to an all-day training? Attended a weekend workshop? Or crammed for a test all night right before an exam?
I guess we’re all fools, some times.
Who wants donuts…?