We've all been there: phone numbers are forgotten, complex words can't be repeated or a sequence of topics gets mixed up.
We remember a lot of things best when the brain can form a unit out of them and links to familiar things are formed.
One exemplary method is so-called "chunking". Chunking helps overcome the limitations of our short-term memory, which can only hold a limited amount of information at once. By grouping individual items into meaningful chunks, we reduce the number of items we need to remember, making it easier to store and retrieve information. For example remembering a long number. Without chunking it's very hard remembering 20 digits like 31415926535897932384. Grouping them in chunks 314 - 159 - 265 - 358 - 979 - 323 - 84 makes this much easier.
My conclusion today is that ...
... information is given in a short form and in the correct, logical order
... visual and acoustic aids are helpful to create neuronal connections more quickly by involving different sensory organs
... structures such as enumerations, comparisons and chunking are particularly useful for my listeners
... communicative means such as gestures, facial expressions and voice emphasise relevant topics
... I can put myself in charge of conveying information to my audience!
