As a trainer, it can be challenging to effectively structure learner engagement and make sure that the learning experiences are impactful. One of the best ways to do this is by ensuring that learners retain as much as they can from their training sessions. Focusing on learning retention in your training increases engagement and motivation, resulting in longer-term knowledge application.
Knowing how to improve learning retention isn’t common knowledge, so here are some tips to help:
Break Information into Digestible Pieces
Breaking up content into subsections with clearly identified topics can greatly improve how well learners comprehend and remember material. Through the process of chunking, learners are made more aware of their progress and are able to solidify the material better as they move through the sections one at a time. By breaking complex topics into smaller pieces and using targeted instruction strategies, trainers are able to work towards improved learning retention for their learners.
Create Meaningful Connections
Connecting information to a meaningful idea or concept can be an effective way to improve learning retention. The key is to make sure that the connections created provide a context which helps to enhance understanding and deepen comprehension. Making connections allows learners to build a conceptual framework that facilitates long-term recall and promotes more effective task completion.
By developing relationships between concepts through the use of metaphors, analogies, stories, real-life examples, and other resources, learners can better comprehend material and store it in their memory for future reference. Establishing these meaningful connections requires thoughtfulness and careful attention but has countless benefits for everyone involved in learning and training.
Provide Opportunities for Review
Incorporating opportunities for review into a training plan can be an effective way to improve learning retention. Regularly scheduled reviews serve to remind learners of key topics and concepts that were previously covered, allowing them to build upon the knowledge they had gained earlier.
Additionally, these review activities provide an opportunity to clear up any confusion that may have arisen while initially learning the material. For example, having learners repeat a practice exercise helps them gain familiarity with the instructions and soon thereafter master the skills required for a successful outcome. Through consistent re-engagement, learners are better able to make meaningful connections between old and new material, thus furthering their overall comprehension of the subject at hand.
Encourage Group Work
Group work has long been recognized as an effective learning strategy, particularly for improving knowledge retention. By collaborating on projects with peers, learners can benefit from comparing and contrasting different perspectives. This in turn nurtures creativity and critical thinking, as many brains are better than one.
By being involved in a project together, each learner may be encouraged to participate more actively and practice the content they are learning. Group projects offer a meaningful way to discuss a subject area while developing interpersonal skills which can be helpful in building confidence and interacting effectively with team members in future tasks or endeavors.
By implementing these strategies into your training, you’ll be able to increase learning retention amongst your learners significantly.
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