Why repeat key information in online courses

The Forgetting Curve

German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus researched how learned information fades over time and produced a visual representation of his findings. The Forgetting Curve shows how memories weaken over time when new information is learned without relearning, revision, or practice. His research shows that learners remember less as the hours, days, and weeks go by. The biggest drop in retention happens soon after learning.

“Our data shows that employees’ ability to retain information and apply new skills plummets unless the learning content includes repetitions and reinforces new information,” said Michael Gullan, CEO of G&G Advocacy, an eLearning consultancy. Gullan adds that when courses are too long and are completed in one “burst,” employees leave the session with a head full of new facts, forgetting most of it just hours later. “When key information is repeated using interactive experiences, quizzes, case studies, and summaries, our data shows better recall and application in the workplace.”

Meaningful content

Ebbinghaus also showed that meaningful content is easier to remember. Difficult and lengthy content with little resonance conforms closely to the Forgetting Curve. For instance, employees tasked with learning pages of difficult text or boring PDFs forget it fast.

“The way courses are presented impacts learning outcomes,” said Gullan, who explained that employees recall more when the learning material is organised, logical, interesting, and interactive. Courses that are divided into bite-sized sections, with interesting and interactive spaced repetition, are a winning formula.”

Emotions aid learning

How employees feel affects how well they remember. Ebbinghaus showed that factors such as stress and sleep play a significant role in how well we retain information. “When employees become stressed about eLearning, it becomes more difficult to remember the information, which creates even more stress,” said Gullan.

Sleep helps the brain sort and store information, which the Forgetting Curve supports as it shows how memory declines exponentially as the brain weeds out information. “To get better results from your eLearning programmes, design them for stressed, distracted adult learners,” suggested Gullan. “Ensure your content addresses only the learning objectives and eliminates unnecessary information.”

The science of repetition

Cognitive science shows how our brains store and retrieve information, especially when information is repeated.

Enhancing job performance

These findings are particularly important for employees, as their ability to retain and apply information over long periods is crucial to work performance and professional success. Regular engagement with eLearning material over extended periods consolidates knowledge and encourages employees to connect new information with their existing knowledge base. “The ongoing cycle of learning and application fosters a love of lifelong learning and empowers employees to be proactive in their career progression, leading to higher job satisfaction, increased innovation, and confidence to take on complex challenges as they advance in their roles,” concluded Gullan.