The explanation shares knowledge: “Show me how.” With an explanation, we share our audience’s knowledge or abilities. Training Course. Presenting a paper. Introducing a process. Self-help seminars. Legal trials. Sales training.
Any explanation takes us to a new level of understanding (a stair case). A great explanation makes it effortless (an escalator).
Great explanations smoothly take us up to a new level in three ways.
- Each step is small. New info comes in bite-sized pieces, and we don’t move on until we had a chance to chew.
- Each step leads directly to the next. We start here, which leads us to there, then we add that, which we top off with this. Presto!
- Each step is marked. We provide a map of the whole route in advance, we preview the steps, and signpost as we go.
When we reach the top, we have a new ability.
All good explanations follow this step-by-step storyline.
Author explains these steps with a case study in the book. Here is how the final explanation deck shaped up after applying them.
altLearners 