1. Visuals
Whether you train your employees in a classroom setting with a PowerPoint presentation or you use an e-learning system, the effect of visuals can’t be overlooked. A PowerPoint presentation filled with words will not appeal as much to your audience. Besides that, visuals are processed 60,000 times faster as opposed to text. Your message will go through a lot easier when you use visuals.
Using video is already a big step forward, but there is a pitfall to avoid. Showing your employees a talking head will not count as “using visuals”. Make sure your learning videos are filled with captivating images or videos that support your message. This will also make the content more interesting for your learners and avoid boredom.
When choosing appropriate visuals keep in mind that your visuals should be of good quality. Only use high-resolution images that are meaningful and relevant in the context. Always adjust the images to your audience. To keep your audience hooked, it’s very important that they can relate to the people and the situations shown in your visuals. If your audience are construction workers, don’t use only pictures of men in suits in a very corporate environment. Make your visuals as personalized as possible!
2. Repetition
If we take into account Ebbinghaus’s Forgetting Curve, we learn that we forget 90% of anything new we learn within just 1 month. Even worse, on average people forget 50% of new information within the first hour after they learn something new, and 70% within 24 hours. Only by repeating the information you can decrease this percentage.
Repetition can come in different forms. A small recap, a tip or trick, a graphic or a small test. Video especially is a thankful medium to repeat the knowledge. No need to invest a lot of time and money to enhance repetition. You can just watch the video again or make a shorter version of the video training that captures the most important points to remember.
When you buy a new plant and only water it once when you get home, your plant will slowly die. The only way to prevent this from happening, is watering your plant frequently. The same goes for the employees in your company. Don’t let them suffer a slow death. Nurture them and their professional growth.
3. Testing
Through testing you can evaluate the knowledge level of your learners and you can even adjust the content towards less-known subjects. Besides these learning management advantages, testing also has an effect on the quality of the education. When participants know they are being tested afterwards, they will pay more attention, which results into higher knowledge retention. Research shows that asking participants to retrieve information from their memory, produces a memory trace that is resistant to forgetting. A last step is to give participants feedback about their test. An important part of learning is knowing what you don’t know (yet). This instant feedback will engage participants to revise the topics they haven’t mastered yet.
Remember that testing also counts as a form of repetition. Talking about killing two birds with one stone…!
Taking into account these 3 aspects will upgrade your learning journey and enhance the knowledge retention of your employees.
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