Techniques to Improve Learning Retention

🧠💥 Learning Styles? Let’s Retire the Myth & Do What Actually Works Ever been labeled a “visual,” “auditory,” or “kinesthetic” learner? The claim shows up in conference keynotes, marketing decks, and everyday ed-tech chatter — yet 20 + years of research finds zero learning boost when lessons are tailored to self-declared styles. ⚠️ Quick myth check • Large systematic reviews — spanning 13 models and thousands of learners—found no classroom benefit for matching instruction to a preferred style. • Follow-up replications & meta-analyses (2015-2025) keep confirming the same: preferences predict how people like to study, not how well they learn. • Belief–practice gap: Despite the evidence, recent surveys show 80-90% of educators still plan to “teach to styles” this year. 🛠️ Instead, let's do what does move the needle • Dual coding 🖼️✍️ – Pair words with visuals to create two memory traces • Retrieval practice 🔄 – Frequent low-stakes quizzes beat re-reading • Spaced repetition ⏳ – Revisit content at widening intervals (1-7-16-35 days) • Interleaving 🔀 – Mix related problem types to sharpen discrimination At Duolingo, we weave these science-backed moves into every lesson: adaptive spacing schedules, retrieval-triggering challenges, and rich multimedia that leverage dual coding—not “styles.” Result? Faster proficiency gains and higher stickiness for 80+ million monthly learners 🚀. Your move: Pick one of the four tactics, drop it into next week’s lesson plan, and tell me what happens ⬇️ #LearningScience #EdTech #InstructionalDesign #Duolingo #MythBusting

In the IQI Academy, one of the learning practices we employ is daily Teach-to-Learn conversations. Participants report increased engagement and morale within Teach-to-Learn sharing networks. Following the morning’s learning session, each participant holds a Teach-to-Learn conversation with someone else at their workplace. This someone else is not an IQI Academy participant. Several important learning principles and methods are combined into daily Teach-to-Learn sessions. Retrieval ▪️ involves recalling information from memory rather than simply re-reading or reviewing materials. Retrieval strengthens and reinforces neural pathways benefiting ▪️ long-term retention, ▪️ application of knowledge to new contexts and ▪️ awareness of gaps in learning. Elaboration ▪️ involves explaining and describing ideas and concepts by either connecting them to prior knowledge or through new mental associations. ▪️ Elaboration requires processing information in a way that enhances comprehension and strengthens connections between existing knowledge and mental frameworks. ▪️ The mental process of elaboration is especially helpful in improving recall and application of new knowledge in new or complex situations. Practice ▪️ involves repeated engagement with concepts and ideas. Preparing for and holding a teach-to-learn conversation produces elements of practice. ▪️ Repetition through practice reinforces memory and increases fluency with concepts. ▪️ Practice is a powerful learning structure to use to combat that rapid forgetting that begins as soon as the formal learning session concludes. Retrieval, elaboration, and practice are highly complementary. When combined, these learning practices help produce robust, transferable individual learning. Network of Conversations The additional benefit achieved through the IQI Academy Teach-to-Learn lessons is the impact of building a network of conversations. ▪️ The social network that exists at work is positively impacted by consistently held Teach-to-Learn conversations through, ▪️ systematic knowledge sharing, ▪️ enhanced team cohesion and trust, and a ▪️ shared focus on effective improvement actions. One of the cumulative impacts of holding at least fifty Teach-to-Learn conversations is a noticeable impact upon personal growth and organizational collaboration. 

Let’s talk memory. One of the most overlooked concepts in instructional design is the difference between working memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory—and it matters more than you think. When we ignore cognitive load and memory stages, we risk designing content that overwhelms or quickly gets forgotten. Here’s how we do better: ✅ Use spaced repetition — Don’t just say it once. Revisit concepts over time. ✅ Build in retrieval practice — Ask learners to recall, not just recognize. ✅ Introduce practice quizzes — Not to test, but to reinforce. ✅ Layer content — Instead of a firehose of info, scaffold concepts thoughtfully. Working memory is limited. Long-term memory is where we want knowledge to stick. Design should guide that journey. I often ask IDs I mentor: “How are you designing for memory rather than against it?” So now I’ll ask you: What’s one strategy you use to strengthen memory in your learning experiences? #InstructionalDesign #CognitiveLoad #MemoryRetention #SpacedRepetition #LearningDesign #LXD #IDOLAcademy

12 tips to better retain what you learn. Use these to improve your memory: Whether you're: ↳Studying for tests ↳Trying to memorize a work presentation ↳Learning a new language ↳Or just wanting to remember someone's name or your grocery list It pays to have a great memory. Often, however, people see their memory as fixed. "I'm so forgetful!" they'll say. Or, "I'm bad with names." But the reality is: You can improve your memory with practice. Use these tactics to strengthen yours. 1) Teach It ↳To remember, you must first understand - and to truly understand, try explaining ↳Ex: Learning physics? Describe Newton's Laws in simple terms - if you can't, you've found a gap 2) Space Repetition ↳Review at increasing intervals, adding more space as you improve ↳Ex: Learning Spanish? Review the new words you learn after 1 day, then 3 days, then a week 3) Create Mnemonics ↳Turn less ordinary or more complex info into shortcuts - odder is often better ↳Ex: Memorize the planets with "My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos" 4) Make It Ordinary ↳Connecting new ideas with ones you're already familiar with helps retention ↳Ex: Learning supply and demand? Think of Uber's surge pricing - when demand is up, cost goes up 5) Write It Down ↳Writing things down (by hand) boosts our ability to remember them ↳Ex: Forget names easily? Write them down three times after meeting someone 6) Say It Out Loud ↳Speaking information also reinforces recall ↳Ex: Using names again - Say, "Nice to meet you, Sarah!" to remember her name 7) Chunk Information ↳Break long info into smaller, digestible parts that are self-contained ↳Ex: Want to memorize a speech? Divide it into short, distinct sections 8) Use Memory Palace ↳Tie information to images for recall, placing things in familiar locations ↳Ex: Remembering a grocery list? Picture milk at your front door, eggs on the couch, and bread on the TV 9) Engage Senses ↳You know how sounds or smells sometimes trigger long-ago memories? Use it ↳Ex: Learning a language? Read, write, listen, and speak it in one session 10) Use Active Recall ↳Test yourself - or have someone else test you - instead of just re-reading ↳Ex: Studying from a book? Cover key parts and recall them before checking to see if you were right 11) Don't Multitask ↳Our inability to remember is often tied to a lack of real focus ↳Ex: Studying? Put your phone in another room to avoid distractions and let your brain prioritize one task 12) Sleep Well ↳Memory consolidates during sleep, and good rest improves our retention ability ↳Ex: Study briefly before bed to let your brain reinforce it overnight Have you used any of these before? --- ♻️ Repost to help others improve their ability to retain information. And follow me George Stern for more content on growth.

A blend is usually best. My approach to designing class sessions centers on designing for the learning, not the learner. Though this may be an unpopular instructional philosophy, I find it yields strong, lasting gains. Of course, learners must have adequate prior knowledge, which you can ensure through thoughtful placement and pre-training. This approach combines direct instruction with emotional, cognitive, and reinforcement strategies to maximize learning and retention. Each phase—from preparation to reinforcement—uses proven methods that reduce anxiety, build confidence, and sustain motivation while grounding knowledge in ways that lead to deeper understanding and real-world application. Direct instruction methods (such as Rosenshine and Gagné) offer a structured framework to capture attention, clarify objectives, and reduce initial anxiety. Emotional engagement—connecting material on a personal level—makes learning memorable and supports long-term retention. Reinforcement strategies like spaced repetition, interleaving, and retrieval practice transform new information into long-term memory. These methods help learners revisit and reinforce what they know, making retention easier and confidence stronger, with automaticity as the ultimate goal. Grounding learning in multiple contexts enhances recall and transfer. Teaching concepts across varied situations allows learners to apply knowledge beyond the classroom. Using multimedia principles also reduces cognitive load, supporting efficient encoding and schema-building for faster recall. Active engagement remains critical to meaningful learning. Learners need to “do” something significant with the information provided. Starting with concrete tasks and moving to abstract concepts strengthens understanding. Progressing from simple questions to complex, experience-rooted problems allows learners to apply their knowledge creatively. Reflection provides crucial insights. Requiring reflection in multiple forms—whether writing, discussion, or visual work—deepens understanding and broadens perspectives. Feedback, feedforward, and feedback cycles offer constructive guidance, equipping learners for future challenges and connecting immediate understanding with long-term growth. As learners build skills, gradually reduce guidance to foster independence. When ready, they practice in more unpredictable or “chaotic” scenarios, which strengthens their ability to apply knowledge under pressure. Controlled chaos builds resilience and adaptability—then we can apply more discovery-based methods. Apply: ✅Direct instruction ✅Emotional engagement ✅Reinforcement strategies ✅Multiple contexts ✅Multimedia learning principles ✅Active, meaningful tasks ✅Reflection in varied forms ✅Concrete-to-abstract ✅Questions-to-Problems ✅Feedback cycles ✅Decreasing guidance ✅Practice in chaos ✅Discovery-based methods (advanced learners) Hope this is helpful :) #instructionaldesign #teachingandlearning

Studies indicate we lose up to 90% of new information within 3 days. That said, if we review this information within 24 hours, it’s been shown that we retain up to 80% of what we just learned. If we review again within 48 hours, that retention goes up to 85%, and if we review AGAIN within 72 hours, odds are we retain most if not all the material. This is spaced repetition and if you have new hire training or ongoing work trainings coming up, it could be a good idea to use this method. Here’s what it looks like in the real world: Yesterday was day 1 of our company’s 3-Day advanced training program to help us master a certain area we cover. - I limited distractions and took notes during the call. - After dinner, I reviewed what I learned for simply 5 minutes. - This AM before heading out, I took out a sheet of paper and wrote down every detail I could remember off the top of my head from the training yesterday to see what I retained and what gaps to fill. - At work today, my goal is to purposely get into convos with customers to practice what I learned and ask questions about their experience on the topic. - 15 minutes prior to today’s training, I’ll do another quick review of my notes from yesterday. - I’ll focus and take notes during today’s training, and later tonight will review what I learned yesterday AND today. - Tomorrow AM I’ll do another session where I’ll write out everything I can remember from the past 2 days off the top of my head, and will see what gaps are left. - I’ll sprinkle in a call with my 2 FSTs 🫱🏼🫲🏽 - Then I’ll repeat for day 3. At the end of this 3-day training, the goal is to get closer to mastery and be a more trusted advisor to my customers, help serve more patients, and as a result, help the company brand and sales. With this meaningful goal, the stakes are higher and makes my focus and excitement to learn increase. If you have a lot of new material to learn, I suggest getting serious about WHY it’s so important that you learn it and what life will look like if you master it. I also suggest looking into Jim Kwik ASAP. Good luck out here everybody. If you have a favorite method of learning, let me know! Include an example of when and how you used it too if you’re willing 🫱🏼🫲🏽

💥 😱 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

7 Tips to Master Learning Anything: (and transform your career) In today’s fast-changing world, learning is your most powerful tool. Mastering how to learn effectively will set you apart. Here are 7 tips to make learning a lifelong skill: 1. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 → Passive reading won’t stick. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Quiz yourself on new information to strengthen memory. 2. 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Small chunks are easier to absorb and retain. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Break complex topics into smaller, manageable parts for daily learning. 3. 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 → Revisit information over time to keep it fresh. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Use a spaced schedule (like flashcards) to reinforce long-term memory. 4. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝗲𝘆𝗻𝗺𝗮𝗻 𝗧𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 → Teaching clarifies understanding. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Explain the topic in simple terms as if teaching someone else. 5. 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝗳𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀 → Different perspectives deepen understanding. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Use videos, books, podcasts, and hands-on practice to get a well-rounded view. 6. 𝗦𝗲𝘁 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 → Intentional learning leads to better results. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: Define what you want to learn and why—then track your progress. 7. 𝗥𝗲𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 → Reflection helps identify knowledge gaps. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗽: After each learning session, take a few minutes to review and journal insights. Mastering learning is mastering your future. What else would you add? Let me know in the comments below 👇 --- ♻️ Find this helpful? Repost for your network. ➕ Follow Dr Alexander Young for daily insights on productivity, leadership, and AI.

Law students, take 5 seconds and memorize the following grocery list: Apples, ground beef, carrots, cheese, lemonade, beets, celery, crackers, honey, gum, yogurt, tomato soup, water, salsa, and chicken. Unless you have a photographic memory, the list isn’t easy to memorize. Now, rearrange the items into meaningful chunks and see if they are easier to memorize: 1. Dairy (cheese, yogurt) 2. Produce (apples, carrots, beets, celery) 3. Protein (ground beef, chicken) 4. Beverages (lemonade, water) 5. Other (honey, crackers, soup, salsa) 6. Junk (gum) Instead of memorizing 15 items, you now only need to memorize 6 chunks of information. You can further regroup the items based on where you find them in the store: 1. Outer aisles (dairy, produce, protein) 2. Inner aisles (beverages, other) 3. Checkout stand (junk) Chunking enabled you to reduce 15 items to 3 groups, which simplified your memorization. You can apply this technique to every subject you’ll learn this spring: —grab your syllabi and identify the main topics in your classes —take the first letter of every main topic and create an acronym or make up phrases —go one step further and create acronyms for the sub-topics of every main topic —using a commercial outline, look for connections between the main and sub-topics to understand why topics are connected or isolated —see the patterns of topics and sub-topics you should always consider together on exams Try the chunking technique in your studies to boost your memory, understanding, learning speed and retention.  #lawschool #lawstudent #lawstudents