Micro-Learning, Gamification, eLearning, etc. These are the common buzzwords of the industry today. All attempting to summit the mountain of change in the way we train, learn, but more importantly retain and apply knowledge to boost productivity and process.
I personally believe we have done and continue to do (by and large) an exceptional job coming up with more efficient and effective ways to conduct training. However, there is still work to be done in the area of how well we can retain and implement this knowledge into practice.
The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve is popular cognitive theory that concludes we (as humans) forget, and at a pretty substantial rate over time (Only a mere 20% retention after 2 weeks). Studies continue to show that the human brain only needs a few "sparks" of the content in which was learned initially to produce significant retention improvements.
Therefore the idea is to "go ahead and train as we were"....but then find an easy, noninvasive way to "spark" repeatedly over time until maximum retention is met. This way, day to day current productivity can coincide with learning that sticks, and improves productivity.
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
- Train more?: No, this requires time away from your day to day
- Make Training shorter?: Closer, but this introduces a new risk of the training itself being compromised, and some training simply cannot be "split up" or "trimmed"
- Integrate it into other systems?: If it's a database integration sure, but functionally for the user, not a great idea, because then you fall to the mercy of the "appeal" and "accessibility" of that interface.
LET'S TAKE A STEP BACK, AND OBSERVE 3 AREAS BASED ON WHAT WE KNOW. WE NEED NONINVASIVE REPETITION ("SPARKS"), YEAH?
It needs to be "appealing and familiar": This is why "gamification" is taking hold. However, what is the most "simple" and "familiar" type of gamification for our "Spark"? Trivia...It's been around for thousands of years, and is the reason games like "Trivia Pursuit" and Television game shows like "Who wants to be a Millionaire" are so popular. Appealing Gamification, Trivia.
It needs to be "short streamlined and simple": The human brain only works as hard as it needs to, this is why we are drawn to "instant gratification", and can raed wrods even when the leettrs are mxied up. So the complexity we can introduce in "training" (e.g., video and other complex question structures) are fine, but they are not conducive or necessary for the "spark" we need. Simple question structures that are streamlined and meaningful along with short and fun quizzes relevant to the said training "content" are the answer. (remember we only need/ want a "spark")
It needs to be "accessible": Next time you're at the shopping mall, or even at a street light, take a look around you and observe your fellow humans. What are most of them engaged with? Smartphones, exactly...so this spark needs to be accessible and mobile as well. So it can occur while you're in line at the cafe, or waiting for your friend in the dressing room at the mall. (Don't "spark" and drive please!)
Trivie has spent years testing and mastering the world of digital gaming, analyzing billions of transactions and tens of millions of games played, A/B testing, and developing the perfect balance of the above to create this exact spark. Now what was the #1 trivia game on the appstore, is helping to support the life saving missions of organizations like the American Heart Association, and safety and professional development of major companies like Domino's Pizza, etc.
Give us a try. Analyze the results, and see if this "sparks" for you the way it has for many.
