Keep it Short

Alright, the next practical tip for implementing the Core Content Mastery Method is to Keep it Short. Seems super simple, but it’s one of the hardest things to do!

So what we do is break everything into small chunks. This helps us to drill down to the core content using the linchpins and absolutes we already talked about. We want to make it simple and easy, and keeping it short is the best way to do that. The truth is that learners WILL tend to zone out with lengthy, repetitive explanations. So – our ideal video length is 5-7 minutes. Sometimes this is unavoidable if there are more images and drawings, but it should be shortened as much as possible, especially the pure explanation parts. That correlates to a transcript length of between 500 and 1,000 words.

So when you look at the process and how to keep things short – you’re going to start with the linchpin, then your 2-5 key points. Then as you’re creating the lesson you’re going to cut the fluff, cut it down. If you’ve cut it down as much as you can, and your transcript or video are still too long, consider possibly splitting it into more than one lesson. For example, one lesson on stroke assessment and one lesson on stroke nursing care. It’s better to split it into two short lessons than have one long one that makes students zone out and loses their engagement.

The other thing I want to point out is the issue with repetition. Repetition is good for learning, it really is. But there is a way that works a way that doesn’t work. What doesn’t work is repeating the same thing over and over. Learners will zone out and may even get annoyed, and make sure you aren’t repeating the same thing over and over because learners will zone out. Okay, that was a joke, but you see what I mean. What DOES work – rephrase it, put it in a new context. Look at it from multiple angles – maybe from the assessment side, then from the patient’s experience. And then we create multiple resources that provide different ways to understand the same concepts. Plus – students can always rewind the video if they want to hear something again!

Another way to provide repetition is in the quick recap at the end – so let’s recap. Break everything into small chunks. Cut out the fluff and consider splitting lessons if necessary. And make sure you’re doing repetition right.

Keep working through the lessons for the last 2 practical applications. Now, go out and be your best self today. And, as always, happy nursing!