One idea per slide?

[badlydrawnrob]

☝️ One idea per card. Just one! Anything more can overload the brain. Anything more can take too long to answer.

A concept from a storytelling workshop I attended (his example was one idea per powerpoint slide). The basic idea is your viewer shouldn't have to reason about what the card is about, it should be obvious at-a-glance (or at least within 10 seconds). If you're finding yourself scanning a card for more than 30 seconds, it's probably too involved and needs simplifying.

What's the most vital piece of information to put on each slide?

• How can it be reduced?
• How can the language be simplified?
• How can it be told in 3 ways (logic, metaphor, experience)
• What is the essential supporting material to add?
• What can safely be left to Google? (just-in-time learning, rather than cramming)
• What mixed media can be used? (images, sketches, code example, story, ...)
• What personal "helpers" might you need (mnemonics)

[^1]: When you're starting out, everything is new and there's the temptation to add tons of syntax to revise. Some of this could be useful, but a lot of syntax will be assigned to memory through the act of coding itself ... and documentation is your friend! A nice compiler is your friend! There's no need to memorise everything.

[badlydrawnrob]

Also might want to add this, that:

• ONE language at a time
• When you're starting out, basic concepts need refreshing
• Repetition and practice may be better than flashcards
• Flashcards take up time to make, so:
  • Find a quicker way
  • Add only what you're struggling with
  • Add only important new concepts
  • Make the rest muscle memory