For an example of how I used intelligent gap management, I already knew some things about chordates, but other things were totally new to me, so I created associations from the things I already knew to those I didn't know yet. For instance, I already knew that vertebrates and craniates were both chordates, but I didn't know that a vertebrate was a craniate with a backbone, so I pictured a crane with a backbone to help me to remember that relationship.
An example of a story to help me remember a list is a list of example conifers:
(1) Douglas Fir - I pictured a friend I knew in a sweater that was furry.
(2) Common Juniper - I thought it was common to see him at this location.
(3) Wollemia Pine - I pictured him taking a pine cone and thowing it over a wall.
(4) Pacific Yew - I pictured that when the pine cone went over the wall, it fell into the pacific ocean.
(5) Bristlecone Pine - I pictured the pine cone bristling when it fell into the cold pacific ocean.
(6) Sequoia - I saw the pine cone end up on a beach where there was a redwood tree growing.
I know this is only six long, but there were a lot of these to learn, so any help is very helpful.
An example of a mnemonic device I used was a list of subgroups for platyhelminthes(flat worms). First I pictured a platform in hell for the word playtyhelminthes, then I think of the phrase "Try to come more" as kind of a scary way to help me remember the subgroups: Turbellaria, Trematoda, Cestoda, and Monogenea.
I hope this is helpful to some. Cheers.