Retrieval practice

• Write what you know from memory on a blank sheet: a plain sheet of paper is a very under-rated study tool! Put your books away, then scribble down everything you can remember about a topic. After you’ve squeezed out as much as you can from memory, you might like to go back and add in any missing details in a different coloured pen. Next time you train yourself on this topic, aim to have fewer missing details – until you have none at all come the week before the exam!

• Draw concept maps from memory: a slightly more sophisticated variant on the “blank sheet” method is drawing concept maps based on what you know of a topic. A concept map links ideas together visually, putting ideas in boxes, and linking them together with arrows to show how they relate.

Make it Accessible

• If you want your training content to stick, making access to courses convenient for your learners is crucial. They should have the ability to complete training wherever they are, at any time of the day.

• This is where mobile learning, or m-Learning, comes into play. Ensuring your LMS is mobile responsive makes learning and retaining information easier for your learners. They’ll have a much better chance of recollecting and refreshing their knowledge if they can access their courses when and where they like; on the bus to work, or while waiting on a client for a lunch meeting.

Make it Relevant

• The human brain is selective and has a limited capacity. When it comes to deciding whether to store pieces of information permanently, the brain can be quite choosy. And this naturally accelerates the forgetting curve. That’s why, when planning training, you should make it as relevant to the learner as possible. The more relevant the training, the easier it will be for them to absorb and remember the information they need.