Studies have shown that the use of games in training serves two purposes:

1. Resetting participant concentration and energy levels. The human mind can only absorb so much information at one time. Successful training is commonly segmented into blocks of approximately 20 minutes followed by group problem solving, open discussion, and games. Using games in this way increases knowledge retention and keeps attention spans high.
2. Reinforcing the practical application of new skills. The effectual execution of games plays a large role in knowledge retention. When used during training, games provide an enjoyable way of reinforcing knowledge and skill use. And when used after training as part of on-the-job reinforcement, games provide a quick and fun refresher of what was learned during training.

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The puffer fish is a slow swimmer in a sea of bigger, faster predators. When chased by a large, hungry fish, a puffer rapidly inflates its stomach. This doubles its size and makes its spines stick out. The display warns off most all but the most determined hunters. Any creature that does try a bite will find it hard to close its jaws around a tough-skinned, spiny sphere.

Inflation works for the puffer fish. Writers of learning content often assume this approach will work for them too. They can be tempted to use big words or convoluted sentence structures to make their ideas seem more important.

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