Information Retention In Compliance On-line Coaching
How to improve knowledge storage in compliance online training courses and break through boredom
Ebbinghaus’s theories go back to the 19th century. He called them the Learning Curve and Forgetting Curve and said we had to actively counteract the latter. It is a challenge that many educators face and that any student can prove. Five minutes after leaving the exam room, they cannot answer the first question for you. Some can’t even tell you what the question was. In childhood, this is inconvenient, but not harmful. In the corporate world – where online training is designed to build skills for everyday use – this is an obvious barrier. How can you get around this to ensure knowledge retention in compliance online training courses so that your employees ward off dreaded L&D boredom?
5 techniques to improve retention and memory
1. Lump it up
Think of your favorite movie that you’ve seen hundreds of times (or you would be ready). What can you remember about it? You may know it word for word from start to finish. But you are more likely to be able to quote parts of the dialogue. However, you certainly cannot describe every detail of this particular scene. Our brain selectively remembers things. It’s a survival mechanism. If we were to transfer every single detail into (long-term) memory, our brain would explode. There just isn’t enough space for everything we see and hear in a day.
So if you want to help your corporate learners free space for your online training content in their memory banks, downsize your material. Present online training content in bite-sized pieces. Use small blocks of text, short audio clips, and video demos with a main theme. Use concise language and back it up with strong images. Images and sounds are easier to remember than lazy words on a page. Don’t tell them everything there is to know about local regulations or guidelines. Knowledge retention in compliance online training courses is promoted when you adhere to what they need to know for their respective tasks and roles.
2. Keeping
What is the most important law in your life? We are talking about actual laws, legal regulations that influence your lived experience. It could be a transportation issue, childcare, or minority law. Can you recite this law word for word? Unlikely. But can you remember any parables or fables from your childhood? Certainly. Our brains are wired to remember stories and, in some ways, to be soothed by them. Make your online training content a story. It can be a case study, simulation, or cautionary story. Tell it in multimedia format.
Your stories should never be abstract in order to promote knowledge retention in compliance online training courses. Use realistic, contextual scenarios to apply as you work. Branch scenarios are a good tool for this. They use if / then situations to explain concepts and consequences. And while much of adult education is self-directed, some corporate learners still need a little guidance. Offer optional chatbots or “tour guide” characters that can be called up when needed. A quick reference and simple keyword search tools are also helpful.
3. Preview and review
Start and end each chapter with a summary. At the beginning, mark the most important teaching points or learning objectives. It prepares employees and shows them what to expect. Displaying key topics early on helps learners in the company identify key lessons as they arise. It also guides them where to put their focus. At the end, present a chapter overview with visual mnemonics. This can be a table, an infographic, a diagram, a call-out box or something similar that supports knowledge retention in compliance online training courses.
These two devices are good for revising, but they also ensure the efficiency of learning. If an employee discovers something incomprehensible or unknown in the summary, he can go back. You could do more research or request additional compliance material. It’s also a useful analysis tool. You – as an LMS administrator or eLearning developer – can see which areas are newly studied most often. This could indicate an underdeveloped area of your compliance course and ask you to review and fix it.
4. Simulate it
Develop simulations that employees can use to apply the skills, behaviors, or knowledge learned during compliance online training. They have the ability to deepen their knowledge and discover how it can be translated into real applications. This helps them assign meanings and gain contextual experience. Employees don’t just check compliance rules or guidelines using a checklist or manual. Instead, they immerse themselves in situations that encourage them to remember them organically and thereby overcome real challenges. For example, dealing with COI violations or resolving work-related conflicts in accordance with company guidelines.
5. Flip the compliance training tables
One has to know a great deal about something in order to teach it. Therefore, one of the best ways to strengthen knowledge retention in compliance online training courses is to turn the tables. Invite employees to host a live event or create a presentation as a guest. For example, her video might cover the basics of the company’s dress code. Or delve into a regulation that relates to your HR practices. This also gives you the ability to expand your microlearning online training library as staff can upload the video for the benefit of their colleagues. For example, your 5-minute presentation on data protection protocols will become a moment-of-need support tool for your IT department.
Conclusion
Exchanging information is only the first step in any educational work. You want to be sure that your employees understand and remember what they have learned. Break it up into smaller, livelier, more memorable pieces. Present your compliance content as a realistic, authentic story applicable to your daily life. Start each chapter with topics to talk about, exploratory questions, or learning goals. Close the chapter with a visual summary for quick reference. Compliance online training does not have to be repeated. Use this article to strengthen knowledge retention in compliance training without getting bored. Give your employees all the tools they need to implement their on-the-job training and avoid violations.
Is your current compliance online training strategy meeting expectations? Use our free online directory to review outsourcing providers who can help you mitigate risk and reduce L&D expenses.
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