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Self-mastery
Acronyms Can Reinforce Or Normalise Your Memory Systems
Acronyms are over-used and not well understood
As a trainer I love all memory aids but it is obvious from delivering other people’s training material I’m supposed to love acronyms the most. The lazy person’s learning tool. But often these are pulled together with what can only be described as wanton abandon (wow, maybe I love them more than I thought) and often go untested over time. You have made a word out of the core concepts you think you want people to remember, well done you, but have you actually checked to see if it worked?
WARNING: This article is very ‘learning nerdy’
Acronyms are easy for anyone who has written, probably in school, an acrostic poem (although technically these are backronyms), as the principle is exactly the same: It is a word that has a ‘second layer’ with more information. When I say it is a word, it doesn't have to be a real one. Confused? Here are some examples:
DELACT. A feedback acronym: Describe the issue. Explain the consequences. Listen to the response. Agree options. Contract for success. Thank them.
STAR. The components to include when responding to questions in a competency based assessment. Situation. Task. Action. Result.
