Learning and the Senses, A Fraud?

I have came across the entry below in Reynaldo Flores' blog at http://reynaldojrflores.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/module-2-learning-styles-theories-part-1/. Rhed cited this at http://web.cortland.edu/andersmd/learning/Introduction.htm



Accounting for the differences of individual learning styles in relation to the five senses, it is interesting to note that on the average, as enumerated by Rief (1993), we tend to retain:

• 10% of what they read


• 20% of what they hear


• 30% of what they see


• 50% of what they see and hear


• 70% of what they say


• 90% of what they say and do

I tried to find out more about Rief and his observation in the internet. Specifically, I would like to know what measurement/assessment was used for this result; how many respondents were involved; and from where.

My search landed me nowhere. Instead, I found out an article who disputed this result and labeled it as fraud.I Will Thalheimer tried to trace the "history" of this quote in his blog. He convinced me that this observation  was indeed a fraud although it was being circulated worldwide and had been accepted as true. This was partly due to the fact that no scientific method or research had been done. Also, the identity of the first person who coined it was unknown.

Read more of Thalheimer's perception at  http://reynaldojrflores.wordpress.com/2013/06/08/module-2-learning-styles-theories-part-1/ and have your verdict.