5 Techniques To Reinforce Knowledge Retention In Compliance Online Training And Break The Boredom

5 Techniques To Reinforce Knowledge Retention In Compliance Online Training And Break The Boredom
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Summary: Hermann Ebbinghaus once said we forget 70% of all new information within 24 hours. How can we prevent this in compliance online training environments?

How To Enhance Knowledge Retention In Compliance Online Training And Break The Boredom

Ebbinghaus’ theories date back to the 1800s. He labelled them Learning Curve and Forgetting Curve, and said we have to actively counteract the latter. It’s a challenge many educators face, and one any student can prove. Five minutes after leaving the exam room, they can’t tell you the answer to the first question. Some can’t even tell you what the question was. In childhood, this is inconvenient but not damaging. In the corporate world – where online training is intended to build skills for everyday use – it’s an obvious barrier. How can you get around it to ensure knowledge retention in compliance online training so that your employees stave off dreaded L&D boredom?

5 Techniques To Improve Retention And Recall

1. Chunk It

Think about your favorite movie, the one you’ve watched hundreds of times (or you would be willing to). What can you remember about it? You might know it word-for-word from start to finish. But it’s more likely you can quote parts of the dialogue. You certainly can’t describe every detail of that particular scene, though. Our brains remember things selectively. It’s a survival mechanism. If we committed every single detail to (long-term) memory, our brains would explode. There just isn’t enough room for everything we see and hear in a day.

So, if you want to help your corporate learners make space for your online training content in their memory banks, shrink your material. Present online training content in bite-sized chunks. Use small blocks of text, short audio clips, video demos with one main theme. Employ concise language and back it up with strong visuals. Images and sounds are easier to recall than inert words on a page. Don’t tell them everything there is to know about local regulations or policies. Knowledge retention in compliance online training is promoted when you stick to what they need to know for their respective job duties and roles.

2. Storify

What’s the most important law in your life? We’re talking about actual laws here, legal regulations that influence your lived experience. It could be a traffic thing, child care, or minority-based legislation. Can you recite that law word-for-word? Unlikely. But can you recall any parables or fables from your childhood? Definitely. Our brains are wired to remember stories and in some ways, to be soothed by them. Couch your online training content as a story. It could be a case study, a simulation, or a cautionary tale. Tell it in multimedia format.

Your stories should never be abstract, in order to foster knowledge retention in compliance online training. Use realistic, contextual scenarios that they can apply at work. Branching scenarios are a good tool for this. They employ if/then situations to explain concepts and consequences. And while much of adult learning is self-directed, some corporate learners still need a bit of guidance. Offer optional chatbots or ‘tour guide’ characters that can be called up whenever necessary. Quick reference and easy keyword search tools are helpful too.

3. Preview And Review

Start and end each chapter with a summary. In the beginning, bullet-point the main teaching points or learning objectives. It primes employees and shows them what to expect. Displaying focal issues ahead of time helps corporate learners recognize key lessons when they occur. It also guides them on where to put their focus. In the end, present a chapter overview using visual mnemonics. It could be a table, infographic, chart, call-out box, or something similar that would help knowledge retention in compliance online training.

These two devices are good for revision, but they also ensure the efficacy of learning. If an employee spots something in the summary that is obtuse or unfamiliar, they can go back. They could do further research or request additional material on the compliance topic. It’s also a useful analytics tool. You – as the LMS administrator or eLearning developer – can see which areas are most often restudied. This could point to an inadequately developed area of your compliance course, prompting you to review and fix it.

4. Simulate It

Develop simulations that allow employees to apply the skills, behaviors, or knowledge they learned during the compliance online training course. They have the ability to reinforce their knowledge and discover how to translate it to real-world applications. Which helps them assign meaning and gain contextual experience. Employees aren't merely reviewing the compliance regulations or policies via a checklist or manual. Instead, they are immersing themselves in situations that encourage them to remember it organically and use it to overcome real challenges. Such as dealing with COI violations or resolving work-related conflicts according to company policy.

5. Turn The Compliance Training Tables

You have to know a great deal about something in order to teach it. Thus, one of the best ways to reinforce knowledge retention in compliance online training is to turn the tables. Invite employees to guest host a live event or create a presentation. For example, their video might cover the basics of the company dress code. Or delve into a regulation that pertains to your HR practices. This also gives you the opportunity to expand your microlearning online training library, as the employees can upload the video for the benefit of their co-workers. For instance, their 5-minute presentation on data protection protocols becomes a moment of need support tool for your IT department.

Conclusion

Sharing information is only the first step of any educational endeavor. You want to be sure your employees understand it and remember what they learned. Break it into smaller, more vivid, and more memorable chunks. Present your compliance content as a realistic, authentic story that’s applicable to their daily lives. Begin each chapter with talking points, exploratory questions, or learning objectives. Close the chapter with a summary in visual format for quick recall. Compliance online training doesn’t have to be repetitive. Use this article to reinforce knowledge retention in compliance training without boring them to tears. As well as give your employees all the tools they need to apply their training in the workplace and avoid violations.

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