No, people do NOT remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they see, etc. : Another myth floating around the training industry

A discussion of some of the myths believed and taught by trainers has recently appeared on the Training-Ideas listserv (6573 members as of this minute). Long-time readers may recall that I post about these myths when I learn of them. For example:

• Visual, auditory, kinesthetic: Let's not assume VAK is true
• What is the biggest communication myth? Perhaps this one [looking at the Mehrabian myth]
• Debunking another myth: The goal-setting of the Yale class of 1953

As a result of this listserv discussion, I came upon a very complete and well-researched expose of the myth about what people learn and retain. From Will at Work Learning:

People do NOT remember 10% of what they read, 20% of what they see, 30% of what they hear, etc. That information, and similar pronouncements are fraudulent. Moreover, general statements on the effectiveness of learning methods are not credible---learning results depend on too many variables to enable such precision. Unfortunately, this bogus information has been floating around our field for decades, crafted by many different authors and presented in many different configurations, including bastardizations of Dale's Cone. The rest of this article offers more detail.

Over the last several years, I have learned to question and research everything I include in my training and writing. It is hard to remain vigilant though because so many of these sacred cows are tossed out of trainers' mouths. Warning: Question everything your hear from trainers, consultants, and speakers, especially if the "fact" is a gem that is supposedly based on research. Search for the research before you echo the findings.

Image credit: o0o0xmods0o0o.