For many years, training professionals have struggled to boost learners’ recall after they leave the classroom or online training experience. The issue has been identified due to the notion that students forget material they have been reinforcement exposed to during their training experience. 

In 1885, German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus postulated and investigated this topic. He discovered that information is lost exponentially from the time learners absorb it.

The forgetting curve depicts the loss of memory retention over time – how knowledge is lost over time when no attempt is made to keep it.

How to Use Learning Technology to Overcome the Forgetting Curve:

What does the forgetting curve signify for training and growth professionals? Does this mean that 50 per cent of the total of our work and money would’ve been wasted in a few days? It’s not all terrible. Ebbinghaus also established that when people have the opportunity to review what they have learnt regularly, the rate of forgetting is drastically reduced.

In other words, we can defeat the forgetting curve if we can reinforce learning through well-placed updates. It is tough to train individuals in the first place, given employees’ natural aversion to taking a classroom or online course and the ongoing difficulty in getting authorised budgets. So, how should we plan our reinforcement sessions?

• On-demand training of performance assistance: 

One method is to divide the training into sections based on the needs of the learners. For example, if sales reps have received product training in a classroom setting, divide the information of the movement into discrete nuggets and make them available as needed. Other forms of support include discussion forums & interactive forums on the school LMS or intranet portal. This technology allows employees to learn from someone else’s experiences while offering comments and solutions.

• Initiatives for Periodic Reinforcement are planned:

Planned periodic training projects are the second sort of reinforcement. They can play a vital role in protracted training and development. When new employees join a business, they may be asked to attend a week-long classroom training course, followed by a formal online assessment to check their understanding. 

If they need to brush up on their knowledge in certain areas, online modules can receive guidance from the classroom curriculum. Employees are subsequently allowed to review their knowledge regularly and be certified yearly.

At every level of the learning process, technology is essential. While initial training can be done in a classroom or online, training assessment, reinforcement, and evaluation can be done with technological interventions. All you need are the following resources

• Software for creating e-learning modules, videos, tests, and digital materials.
• A learning management software (LMS) to house the programmes
• A dedicated team of managers and employees of the L&D team to organise and execute the programme

Conclusion

Learning innovation is a powerful and essential enabler. It has the power to tackle the steep forgetting curve in the hands of knowledgeable L&D personnel. According to new studies, forgetting is a natural part of learning and memory. It makes room for new knowledge. 

Your brain attempts to digest new information when. You learn anything new; your brain processes it and strives to determine its significance.