The “spacing effect,” first discovered by psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the late 1800s, shows that we learn new material best by taking breaks, to allow the brain to consolidate what it has learned, rather than trying to cram too much in all at once.  And yet teachers still try to pack a lot into their lectures, and students still try to study for the test the night before.  And speakers still try to jam as much as possible into a 45-minute speech. Why do we humans perversely pay so little attention to how the brain works in our attempts at learning and speaking?

Partly it’s because old learning models have persisted despite the research, and partly because information overload is a real thing, and we’re all racing to stay in the knowledge game.  Who has the time to ‘space’?

We speakers have to figure out how to stretch time for our audiences, and it’s here that virtual tools can turn out to be a boon for us all.  A lot of knowledge workers are currently reporting ‘Zoom fatigue’ and feelings of isolation and loneliness are on the rise, thanks to the endless pandemic and the need to keep our distance.  Many are no doubt looking forward to a return to face-to-face working and so the current thinking about using video conferencing or other such tools may not be wildly enthusiastic.

But this is precisely the time to begin to plan for face-to-face conferences again, face-to-face conferences that use the best of virtual techniques to enhance our learning and information retention.

For example, one of the keys to making the spacing effect work is to repeat information (in chunks) at reasonable intervals of time.  So as part of that keynote, why not prepare a few follow-up videos for the audience to watch after the speech, say over a period of a few weeks?  We’ve learned that the drop-off in watching speeches on video is high, so keep the video knowledge bites brief.  Just one key point from the talk, in a video of 3 minutes or less.  Do a series of these in the weeks after a talk, and you’ll increase retention and continue to spread your message.

Consider also using different formats and styles for repeating and spacing your messages.  Perhaps you can use a combination of video and audio messages, and even good, old-fashioned physical objects.  One of the insights we’ve gleaned from all these hours spent on video is that combining video and something tangible increases the punch of the message considerably.

Another way to increase attention and retention in the virtual, as we’ve learned, is to have interaction built into the speaking session.  Interaction can be with a moderator or interviewer, or it can be with the audience itself.  Or both.  It’s a case of ‘two heads (or several) are better than one’ when it comes to virtual speaking. And the audience is thus involved in spacing out its own learning.  Audiences love to be put to work, to be made active, and this is a good way to do so.

Finally, think about bringing more video into the speech itself.  If the audience is streaming as well as in person, then bring in the people around the planet in order to make the room feel ‘small’.  Make the interaction real rather than superficial, and you will bring as much equality as possible to the in-person and virtual audiences.

We are all talking about a hybrid future for speaking.  Let’s use the best learning techniques we know in order to make that future bright.