One more time -- People remember 10%, 20%...

Okay, here's another example of the same incorrect information that plagues our field. This is from a company named Percepsys:

Hopefully, sometime soon, the webpage on their site won't work because the vendor will smarten up and remove this misinformation.

It's NOT TRUE that people remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they hear, etc. Moreover, if you know anything about learning, you'd know it would be impossible to pin down the amount of remembering. It depends on the materials, the learners, the duration of learning, the type of learning activities, the consistency between the learning situation and the retrieval situation, and the length of retention among other things. Finally, while this information (the 10%, 20%, 30% information) is often attached to Dale's Cone, Dale never actually had any numbers on his cone.

For the best review of the history of this misdirection, if I must say so myself, is here.

Comments

[Jim W]

The Dale Cone isn’t true..? Say it isn’t so..!!!
That’s like the Santa Claus of e-Learning..!

You are the Grinch! PLEASE - STOP ruining all the mindless fun we’ve been having before it's too late.

[Sultan]

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Only do not judge strictly, please. Best regards. GOOD LUCK.

[Thom K]

You know, I like to think I question and think critically about things, but this one is so widespread, and is taught as something that is fundamental and accepted. It slipped past the defenses. I'm even guilty of quoting it. Thanks for setting the record straight, darn it all.

[rebecca]

Certainly sends my faith in my own professors spinning downward --- heard this all of my professional life of 40 years. Here is yet another professor quoting that cone but attributing it to Glasser and adding a final line about 95% of what we teach. http://www.2learn.ca/institute/handouts/UniversalDesignforLearningHO.pdf#search=%22universal%20design%20for%20learning%22 Ah, sigh.

[Megan McGuire]

Having just begun my Post Graduate Certificate in Teaching and Learning for
Art and Design, it was only last week (the 2nd
week of the course) that we were presented on the OH Projector with:

People Remember:

10% of what they Read
20% " " Hear
30% " " See
50% " " See and Hear
70% " " Talk over with others
80% " " Use and do in real life
95% " " Teach someone else.

The source was quoted as William Glasser - Association for Supervision and
Curriculum Development Guide (1988)

Amazed by these findings that were presented to us, I have already found
myself guilty of passing on this information in conversation. Ooops. Until
now.

Thanks. A very interesting Website.

[she]

Excellent research and post. I've referred many people to your debunking article over the past few months and am glad to see you revisit the topic here on this blog.