Pair the words with a picture that carries meaning

Verbal and visual information are processed through partly separate channels, and material encoded in both is remembered better than material encoded in either alone (Paivio, 1986; Mayer, 2009). The catch that separates this from slide decoration (see "Delete the decoration"): the image must carry the structure of the idea, a timeline, a labelled diagram, a flow, not merely accompany it. (Manning's dual-coding-designer skill generates these visuals from your content.)

In practice

• For each key concept this week, choose its shape: sequence becomes a timeline, comparison a table, process a flow diagram, structure a labelled sketch.
• Draw it live rather than revealing it finished: the build order is itself an explanation, and slow is a feature.
• Best retrieval task afterwards: give back the diagram with labels blanked, or the labels with the diagram missing, and have students reconstruct the other half.