In this 30-minute Master Class, we’ll discuss the theory behind learner retention, show you some practical tips and tricks to boost lesson retention, and discuss best practices to ensure you are creating engaging and effective learning that will stick!

1. The Sticky Learning Knowledge
Boosters Your eLearning Needs

2. Agenda
● Theory of Learner Retention
● Practical Options
● Best Practices
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3. Learning Retention
● The process by which new information is transferred from
our short-term to our long-term memory
● Learning Curve
● Forgetting Curve
● How to get new knowledge to stick
○ “Sticky Learning”
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4. Learning Curve
● A learning curve is a graphical representation of how an
increase in learning comes from greater experience
● The more someone performs a task, the better they get
at it
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5. 5
“Steep Learning Curve”

6. 6

7. 7
Learn

8. 8
Learn

9. Riding the Curve to Mastery
If you focus and invest time into a subject, you will eventually
reach a level of mastery. The actual level clearly depends on
the amount of invested time and to a significant extent on
your inherent abilities to acquire the specific knowledge.
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10. Riding the Curve to Mastery
If you focus and invest time into a subject, you will eventually
reach a level of mastery. The actual level clearly depends on
the amount of invested time and to a significant extent on
your inherent abilities to acquire the specific knowledge.
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11. Riding the Curve to Mastery
If you focus and invest time into a subject, you will eventually
reach a level of mastery. The actual level clearly depends on
the amount of invested time and to a significant extent on
your inherent abilities to acquire the specific knowledge.
Learning requires time and effort.
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12. Forgetting Curve
● Shows how information is lost over time when there is no
attempt to retain it
● Humans tend to to halve their memory of newly learned
knowledge in a matter of days unless they consciously
review the learned material
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13. 13
https://qz.com/1213768/the-forgetting-curve-explains-why-humans-struggle-to-memorize/

14. Forgetting Curve
Speed of forgetting depends on
● Difficulty of learned material
● How meaningful the material is to the learner
● Physiological factors (stress and sleep)
● Representation
● Individual
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15. Fighting Forgetting
● Repeating the learned information at particular intervals
○ Spaced Repetition
○ Review
● Review over days
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16. 16https://blog.pharmacertify.com/2017/03/20/the-forgetting-curve-and-compliance-training/

17. 17https://blog.pharmacertify.com/2017/03/20/the-forgetting-curve-and-compliance-training/
Points of Review

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19. “With billions spent on
corporate training yearly,
companies just can’t afford for
employees to forget knowledge
they gain.”

20. Practical Options

21. Knowledge Boosters
1. Pre-learning
2. Mid-stream
3. Post-learning
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22. Knowledge Boosters
1. Pre-learning
a. Pre-test
b. Pre-interview/questionnaire
i. What do you hope to gain from this training?
c. Pre-learning introduction
2. Mid-stream
3. Post-learning
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23. Knowledge Boosters
1. Pre-learning
2. Mid-stream
a. Knowledge checks/mini-quizzes/polls
b. H5P Interactive Video
c. Discussions
i. Have learners explain/teach processes to others
3. Post-learning
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24. 24

25. Knowledge Boosters
1. Pre-learning
2. Mid-stream
3. Post-learning
a. Post-Learning Survey
i. What three things did you take away from this session?
b. Discussions/Town hall meetings
c. Social Learning & Review
i. Retention
ii. Reproduction
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26. 26

27. Demo

28. Best Practices
1. Know your audience/users
2. Know your outcomes
3. Know your environment
4. Know your challenges
5. Try incremental changes
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29. 29
https://qz.com/1213768/the-forgetting-curve-explains-why-humans-struggle-to-memorize/

30. 30
https://qz.com/1213768/the-forgetting-curve-explains-why-humans-struggle-to-memorize/
What is the 20-30% of your
training that you want to
stick?

31. 31
https://qz.com/1213768/the-forgetting-curve-explains-why-humans-struggle-to-memorize/
What is the 20-30% of your
training that you want to
stick?
Repeat that!

32. Summary
● Theory of Learner Retention
○ Learning Curve
○ Forgetting Curve
● Practical Options
○ Pre-learning
○ Mid-stream
○ Post-learning
● Best Practices
○ Know your audience, outcomes
○ Make incremental changes
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33. Resources
● What Makes Learning or Training Sticky blog by Leah
Chang
● Forgetting Curve blog by Nikhil Sonnad
● Retention Techniques in eLearning Christopher Pappas,
eLearning Industry
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34. Upcoming Webinars
● Zoola Analytics: How to Embed and Schedule Reports
and Dashboards
○ Tuesday May 21, 10am PT / 1pm ET
● Totara Learn: Using Totara HR Import
○ Tuesday May 28, 10am PT / 1pm ET
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