[Tango-L] Discussion Topics

[Bruce Stephens]

"Trini y Sean (PATangoS)" <patangos at yahoo.com> writes:

> Given that one can only retain 5 +/-2 pieces of information
> in short-term memory, Ed makes a quite reasonable comment
> and his usage of the word "learned" is perfectly
> understood.

The usual number is 7 (+/- 2), but the original paper probably doesn't
support most of the conclusions that it's used to support.
<http://www.edwardtufte.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=0000U6&topic_id=1>.

It's about remembering random (disconnected) facts (or discriminating
things on a unidimensional scale).  I guess that might apply to a
tango class if a teacher attempts to teach a number of unrelated
figures, or gives some pattern of steps without adequately motivating
them.

Remembering such things would be challenging, but I'm not sure that
using notebooks, videos, etc., is a suitable response.  Probably
better to motivate and connect the collection of whatever it is you're
teaching.  And probably you'd end up teaching maybe one or two things,
plus some variations on the same theme (which students could easily
reconstruct afterwards, having understood the principles).

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