How Active Learning Boosts Retention

When we actively recall/retrieve information our brains put a little hashtag on it: #useful. And those tags compound with more retrievals. In addition, memories are best strengthened if they are retrieved just before we forget them. This means that the time between retrievals should increase with each one. Furthermore, the fewer cues we are given for recall increases the likelihood of making more associations between new information and prior knowledge. As such, learners can think analogously & apply concepts across contexts. Strategy 1: Use low stakes formative assessments as retrieval practice to enhance memory retention. Strategy 2: Incrementally increase the space between retrieval practice to maximize the effect. Strategy 3: Gradually increase the complexity of retrieval practice using the three types of recall to enhance depth of understanding. 3-4 of these retrieval events will suffice at about 15 minutes per. 🧠 Go for recall over recognition:  Don’t use multiple choice questions as a summative assessment because in the real world they won’t be given a set of options where one is the correct answer. Learners being forced to generate the information is more effective. Free recall is more effective than cued recall and recognition, though it’s prudent for learners to work their way up from recognition to recall. 🔠 Make sure the context and mode of retrieval is varied:  Mix it up. One day they post a video. Next, have them write something. The Later, have them create a diagram or map, etc. Generating information in multiple modes is even more powerful than being presented information in multiple representations. What’s more, this also goes for practicing related information in varying combinations. See Interleaving. 🌉 Make sure retrieval practice is properly scaffolded and elaborative:  Go from concrete to abstract, simple to complex, easy to difficult; from questions to answer to problems to solve. Each retrieval event along the curve should be increasingly more involved to create a Desirable Difficulty. See also Bruner's Spiraling Curriculum & Reigeluth’s Elaboration Theory. 💡 Push creation of concrete examples, metaphors, and analogies:  Concrete examples and analogous thinking have a high positive impact on memory. Especially if it is learner-generated. This provides students with the opportunity to put new, abstract concepts in terms of what they already know. It updates their existing schemas. 🔁 Give feedback, and time it right:  If you’re not giving feedback that is corrective and often, your learners might suffer from confusion or even start to develop bad habits. But don’t wait too long to do it. Check out PREP feedback and Quality Matters helpful recommendations. Be sure to fade feedback as student develop mastery. #instructionaldesign #teachingandlearning #retrievalpractice

💥 😱 Training is fundamentally broken. Think about it: We spend HOURS listening to lectures, reading books, or watching videos… only to retain almost nothing. The result? Knowledge that fades faster than yesterday’s to-do list. Why? Because passive learning is a trap. We consume knowledge, but we never truly retain it. The solution? 💡 Shift from PASSIVE to ACTIVE learning. This is where the Learning Pyramid comes in. 🔺 What is the Learning Pyramid? It’s a simple, science-backed model that shows how we retain information. And here’s the spoiler: 👉 The secret to learning isn’t listening. It’s DOING. Here’s how it breaks down: 👀 At the top: Passive methods like lectures, reading, and watching videos. 💪 At the bottom: Active methods like practice, group discussions, and teaching others. The difference? 💡 Passive methods = Knowledge INPUT. 💥 Active methods = Knowledge OUTPUT. And guess what? 👉 The magic happens in the output. Imagine this: Instead of your team passively sitting through a 60-minute presentation (retention: 5%)… 💥 They teach the same content to others (retention: 90%). That’s not just a small shift. That’s a GAME. CHANGER. 🤩🤩🤩 SO… how do you level up your learning experiences starting today? 💥 Here’s the powerful truth: The best way to learn something is to teach it. If you’re running a team workshop, client training, or even a simple meeting – make it INTERACTIVE! 😀 Here are 5 easy tools to boost engagement and retention immediately: 1️⃣ Breakout Rooms Don’t let participants sit passively. 💬 Break them into small groups to discuss key topics and collaborate in real-time. Easy to do with Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet. 2️⃣ Online Whiteboards (Figma, Miro, Mural) Learning doesn’t just happen through words. Let people sketch, brainstorm, and visually build ideas together during sessions. It taps into visual + active learning modes! 3️⃣ Quizzes & Polls People LOVE immediate feedback. Tools like Slido or Kahoot! make it easy to add live polls and quizzes during your sessions. 4️⃣ Peer Teaching Exercises Want someone to REALLY learn something? 💡 Ask them to teach it to someone else. Teaching forces them to organize their thoughts and solidify their understanding. 5️⃣ Interactive Demos Forget slide decks. SHOW people how something works, then let them try it themselves. The difference? 👀 Passive watching vs. 💪 Active doing. 🔥 Here’s the challenge: If you want your team (or clients) to actually retain what you’re teaching… 👉 Make them do the work. ❌ Stop talking AT them. ✅ Start collaborating WITH them. Because retention doesn’t come from listening. It comes from ACTION. ///// ///// ///// ///// ///// 👋🏻Hi, I’m Andy! Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow me for more. Want to build the future of architecture with me? Let’s start a conversation today. 🌟 #Architecture #Collaboration #Innovation #Leadership #slantisVibes

Inspired by John Sepich's share of this Edutopia - George Lucas Educational Foundation article by Cathleen Beachboard. It's about the forgetting curve - students forget 90% of new information within a week unless we actively help them remember. This hits home for me. I'm always reflecting on what students retain from our coaching cycles, which is why I've become so passionate about advancing a common career language (#RIASEC), career conversations, and instructional best practices. Shouldn't we be asking ourselves: How much of what I shared was retained? What could I do differently to help students hold onto their learning? This article reinforces what teachers have shown me over the years: career conversations embedded into well designed instructional practices are a winning strategy. This is a reminder of the importance of instructional approaches, especially given the limited time practitioners get to prioritize career-related learning. Below, I offer an example of how Career Connected Schools methods align with Beachboard's strategies: A) Immediate Recall - After introducing a common career language (RIASEC), using total physical response (TPR), students identify one theme and response type to indicate their preferred RIASEC theme. They demonstrate active retrieval based on what they just learned about the themes. B) Personal Reflection - Students think-pair-share and connect their RIASEC understanding to their own lived experiences, explaining why they ordered themes as they did and how each relates to activities they already enjoy. C) Immediate Use - Students then apply their new knowledge by sorting job titles and descriptions that match their preferred themes. They turn and talk with classmates, negotiate and trade for their top job based on what they know about their interests - giving them real-world roles to evaluate as part of their career exploration. The article reminds us that "memory is built, not borrowed." When we combine career literacy/language with intentional dialogue and embed them into instructional practices, we're not just delivering information - we're helping students become active owners of their learning. To our advisors, coaches, and counselors, your facilitation skills ARE teaching skills. And when we approach our work with the same reflective practice as classroom teachers, that makes all the difference in what students remember and carry forward. Ultimately, this is one way we can move career-related learning from the margins to the core. Thank you, Cathleen Beachboard, for sharing. I hope I honored your sentiments. What strategies have you found most effective for helping students retain career readiness concepts? Steve Regur MoCo CAP WorkSource Montgomery OC Pathways East Central Educational Service Center Southern Indiana Education Center (SIEC) #CareerConnectedSchools Educators Cooperative Jessica Tena Kirk Melkonian https://lnkd.in/g3MvyqJ6

3 ways to 3x what you learn and remember: We forget 90% of what we hear within one week. Passive consumption creates knowledge that fades. Active involvement builds skills that last. Here are 3 proven ways to make learning stick: 1. Teach what you learn immediately: ↳ Explaining to others boosts retention 90% ↳ Strengthens neural pathways through recall ↳ Forces simplification of complex ideas 2. Create deliberate practice opportunities ↳ Feedback-driven practice speeds mastery 300% ↳ Small challenges beat cramming every time ↳ Builds confidence through quick wins 3 Break complex skills into micro-challenges ↳ Step-by-step learning improves retention 80% ↳ Prevents overwhelm and abandonment ↳ Creates clear progress milestones Master these approaches and watch your team develop faster than ever. This week, redesign one team meeting to include active learning. Which of these methods will you try first? ♻️ Share this with others 🔔 Follow Ali Mamujee for more Sources: - National Training Laboratories' Learning Pyramid Study - "Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning" (Brown, McDaniel) - Journal of Educational Psychology, "The Protégé Effect" (2018)

🔴 If learners can’t apply it, they won’t remember it. Too many training programs focus on information instead of application. But knowledge without action doesn’t drive results. Instead, design learning that sticks by making it real-world relevant. Here’s how: 1️⃣ Start with real challenges. Ask: “What problems do learners face on the job?” Then, build training that helps them solve those problems. 2️⃣ Make practice look like reality. Ditch abstract exercises. Use: ✅ Case studies based on real work situations ✅ Branching scenarios with authentic decision-making ✅ Hands-on activities that mirror actual tasks 3️⃣ Encourage immediate application. Don’t just teach—get learners doing. ✅ Give action steps at the end of each lesson. ✅ Have learners apply skills to a real project. ✅ Use reflection prompts like: “How will you use this tomorrow?” 4️⃣ Measure success by performance, not completion. A completed course means nothing if behavior doesn’t change. Learning should solve real problems. If it doesn’t translate to the real world, it’s just noise. 🤔 How do you ensure your training leads to real-world application? ----------------------- 👋 Hi! I'm Elizabeth! ♻️ Share this post if you found it helpful. 👆 Follow me for more tips! 🤝 Reach out if you need a high-quality learning solution designed to engage learners and drive real change. #InstructionalDesign #RealWorldLearning #LearningThatWorks #LearningAndDevelopment

🎯 The Learning Pyramid REIMAGINED: A Trust-Based Observations Breakthrough! 🔎 I've seen a lot of posts about the Learning Pyramid lately? Let's add some new thinking. First—those percentages have been debunked 🚫. No study would ever produce such neat 5s and 10s for retention rates. ✅ What IS true? Research consistently proves that the more ACTIVE students are in their learning, the more they retain and apply that learning! ✨So, what if we revised the Learning Pyramid and used it during observations to empower teachers and foster deeper student engagement? 🏗️ Receptive vs. Active Learning: A More Accurate, More Impactful Pyramid! We’ve reorganized and added to the pyramid's two key types of learning: 🔹 Receptive Learning--"receptive" sounds better than "passive" (These have value but tend to be sit and get): 🔹 Lecture/Direct Instruction (Teachers set the stage) 🔹 Audio/Visual (Can enhance understanding and engagement) 🔹 Demonstration/Modeling (Crucial for showing students how it’s done) 🔹 Receptive Reading (Teacher read-alouds or silent reading without additional interaction) 🔹 Receptive Class Discussion (Traditional Q&A where students take turns answering) 🔸 Active Learning (Where the Magic Happens!) 🚀💬 When students engage, discuss, and apply what they learn, retention skyrockets! ✅ Active Reading (Students annotate, summarize, or for K-3 students, this includes learning to read—decoding, phonics, word-building!) ✅ Active Class Discussion (Think Socratic seminars, backchannel chats, and high-engagement conversations!) ✅ Pair/Team Discussion (Structured discussions where all students contribute—ensuring equal participation!) ✅ Learning by Doing (Practice, Experiments, hands-on projects, role-playing—real-world application!) ✅ Teaching Others (When students teach peers, their understanding deepens the most!) 📝 What This Means for Observations! In Trust-Based Observations, we use a transformative observation form (🔗 https://lnkd.in/eafufzsu) to timestamp teaching strategies and identify time spent in active learning. The revised pyramid's visual layout sparks self-reflection, resulting in teachers shifting towards more time spent in high-engagement practices. 💡 The Power Trio+ If more than 50% of the lesson is spent in Active Learning (Power Trio +), we write the total minutes in the big yellow box and celebrate with teachers! 👏 Because more active time = more student learning! 🚀 Why School Leaders Should Care 💡 Traditional observations focus on what teachers DO. 🔥 Trust-Based Observations focus on what STUDENTS DO and LEARN. ✔️ Receptive learning has value ✔️ Active learning ignites engagement & retention ✔️ Teachers feel supported, not judged so they grow their practice 📢 It’s time to use observations to create a learning culture that works. 🚀 The reimagined Learning Pyramid is one way we do that. 🔗 Want to see the difference? Learn more at trustbased.com