Making Learning Stick Through Microlearning & Gamification

It should be no surprise to learn that traditional training often fails to engage learners or create lasting retention.

The good news it that "microlearning" and gamification can, while delivering knowledge that sticks.

The Challenges of Workplace Learning

Classroom-style training frequently disengages employees. Lengthy lectures are boring and can seem irrelevant to real work.

Plus, newly learned information quickly fades per the forgetting curve¹ if not reinforced. This wasted effort stems from:

• One-off training "events" separate from daily operations
• Long, boring (or even irrelevant) sessions that lose their audience
• Minimal opportunities to apply skills on the job
• Lack of follow-up to reinforce concepts

Embracing Microlearning

Microlearning delivers brief, focused content nuggets on-demand. Typical features:

• 3-5 minute videos or activities
• Bite-sized snippets that convey one small but important learning objective
• Accessible on any device for consumption anytime
• Aligns training to real work applications

Frequent microlearning exposures spaced over time counteract the forgetting curve through reinforcement. Short bursts suit modern learners' abbreviated attention spans.

Implementing Effective Microlearning

Follow these best practices when applying microlearning:

• Chunk content - Break hour-long training into smaller 3-5 minute segments. Shorten further if possible.
• Promote spaced repetition - Repeat exposures over time vs one long session.
• Vary formats - Combine videos, quizzes, simulations, presentations.
• Prompt frequent interactions - Daily or weekly touchpoints drive engagement.
• Personalize - Tailor training to individual needs and roles.
• Reinforce - Repurpose popular content. Assess knowledge retention.
• Use memory boosters - Quizzes and real-world scenarios aid recall.

Adding Gamification

Gamification applies game elements to drive participation. Integrating it with microlearning optimizes engagement and motivation.

• Points and badges incentivize learning completion
• Leaderboards tap into healthy competition
• Real-time feedback keeps employees invested
• Rewards recognize achievements and milestones
• Quests and challenges make training collaborative

The Path Forward

The facts are clear – gamified microlearning promotes retention & "sticky"-ness of knowledge through its brevity, reinforcement, and motivation.

Employees gain crucial work-relevant skills through focused, frequent, fun exposures. Organizations that embrace these emerging techniques gain more agile, productive, and engaged workforces.

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References:

¹ The "forgetting curve" concept was pioneered by Hermann Ebbinghaus in the late 1800s. His research on memory and retention showed that humans tend to halve their memory of newly learned information in just 20 minutes, with further declines over time unless the information is consciously reviewed.

Some key references on Ebbinghaus's forgetting curve research include:

• Ebbinghaus, H. (1885). Über das Gedächtnis. Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie. Duncker & Humblot. This was his original published work introducing the forgetting curve.
• Ebbinghaus, H. (1913). Memory: A contribution to experimental psychology. Teachers College, Columbia University. An English translation of his core works.
• Murre, J. M., & Dros, J. (2015). Replication and analysis of Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve. PloS one, 10(7), e0120644. A modern re-examination and confirmation of Ebbinghaus's findings.
• Wozniak, P. A. (1999). Introduction to memory: Hermann Ebbinghaus (1885/1913). Gale Group. A useful introduction to Ebbinghaus's discoveries and their implications.

So in summary, the pioneering research of Hermann Ebbinghaus in the late 1800s empirically demonstrated the rapid decline in memory retention over time, unless information is consciously reviewed and reinforced. This became known as the forgetting curve and remains a key concept in understanding human memory and learning.