Present learning material step by step

The information in our long-term memory is stored in schemas: coherent chunks of information. By dividing (complex) learning material into related manageable parts, or chunks, you align with the way our brain stores information. Students are thus less cognitively burdened and can process and store information better as a result. It is important to present the chunks in a logical order and ensure that the new chunk is integrated with old information. This way, the chunks are regularly repeated and associated with the larger schema. Furthermore, students can be helped to see the coherence between the different chunks. A (partially filled) concept or mind map can, for example, help to visualize the coherence. Suppose students need to learn about cells. You can then first teach students about the general functioning of cells. In the next lesson, you can briefly combine (chunk) the information about cells at the beginning. Then you can zoom in on cell nuclei and ensure that both components are merged into the same schema. In the following lessons, you apply the same principle to DNA, RNA, and proteins. This gradually forms a complex schema of information that is much better retained than when material (incoherently) is presented in separate parts.

Guida, A., Gobet, F., Tardieu, H., & Nicolas, S. (2012). How chunks, long-term working memory and templates offer a cognitive explanation for neuroimaging data on expertise acquisition: A two-stage framework. Brain and Cognition, 79(3), 221–244.

Rey, G.D., Beege, M., Nebel, S., Wirzberger, M., Schmitt, T.H., & Schneider, S. (2019). A Meta-analysis of the Segmenting Effect. Educational Psychology Review, 31, 389–419.

Levasseur, D. G., & Kanan Sawyer, J. (2006). Pedagogy Meets PowerPoint: A Research Review of the Effects of Computer-Generated Slides in the Classroom. Review of Communication, 6(1–2), 101–123.