At a Glance
- Spaced Repetition means repeating what’s learned over time . why? Because, one concentrated learning event gets forgotten quickly (Ebbinghaus’ forgetting curve).
- Retrieval practice makes a learner to actively pull what’s learned from memory using questions, quizzes/assessments.
- Recall is the learner’s ability to retrieve the learned concepts/knowledge easier to recall.
- MaxLearn reflects these concepts through capabilities like spaced repetition, retrieval practice, adptive learning, Flashcards, quizzes/assessments and a learner’s progress tracking.
- The result: learning becomes holistic or complete when it’s remembered and reinforced.
Trainers and learners alike now prefer microlearning platforms for their speed, fun and effectiveness! A good microlearning platform helps deliver customised learning for the ‘individual learner’ as per one’s role and risk-specific learning goals.
Microlearning can succeed only when it enables your workforce with the knowledge, skills and capabilities that align with each one’s learning goals. Most importantly- a learner must not forget what’s learned!
Three key concepts that form the backbone of microlearning are- Spacing Effect (Spaced Repetition), Spaced Retrieval (Retrieval Practice) and Recall. These 3 need to be integrated well in a microlearning platform to make it robust and dependable.
Why Memory Matters in Workplace Microlearning
A training completed does not mean what’s learned will be remembered. In an organisation, remembering gets even more critical when employees have to recall a vast pool of information like compliance, safety, process adherence, product knowledge, or role- and risk-specific things.
This is where spaced repetition and retrieval practice become important. Instead of exposing a learner to information once and expecting it to stick, learning is revisited over time. Questions and assessments get learners to retrieve what they have learned from memory.
The objective is simple: learn → retrieve → reinforce → recall when needed.
For a trainer, this shifts the focus from merely completing training to building knowledge that can be retained and applied.
| Concept | What Happens | How it helps |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced Repetition | Learning gets revisited over time | It helps reinforce learning after one-time learning events |
| Retrieval Practice | Learner actively retrieves what’s learned previously | Strengthens knowledge through memory-access |
| Recall | Learner retrieves that information/knowledge when required | Makes it easier to apply learning at work |
Let’s understand these concepts better…
Spacing Effect or Spaced Repetition
Spacing effect means providing content to a learner over time. This kind of spacing of content improves memory retention! Spacing of content keeps fatigue at bay.
Cramming (mass practice) mixes up lessons and content. It makes retention of lessons difficult.
Benefits of ‘Spacing Effect’ or ‘Spaced Repetition’
- A learner can understand, memorise, and comprehend old and newly learned information.
- The brain absorbs better when it gets a break. Mindlessly pumping too much information must be deliberately avoided.
Equal and Unequal Time Schedules in Spacing Effect
The spacing effect can be done with equal and unequal time schedules such as:
- Uniform schedule- an equal amount of time set between two learning events. For example- one microlearning lesson every two days.
- Expanded schedule- the amount of time between learning events gets larger for each spaced repetition. For example- questions about a learned lesson are spaced as follows: first set of testing questions are asked after day 3, and thereafter on days 7, 12, and 20.
A good microlearning platform should be able to measure a learner’s learning progress. A trainer would want the learner to get neither ‘too much’ nor ‘too little’ repetitions.
Spaced Retrieval
Spaced retrieval is all about pulling information out of a learner’s brain in a spaced-out manner. Spaced retrieval practice helps learners recall facts, concepts, or events from their memory deposits.
Tests must be ‘delayed’ or well-spaced. This means creating distributed learning moments, and not trying to push all the testing in one go.
A well-spaced retrieval process to recall what’s learned is a powerful learning tool.
For example-
To implement spaced retrieval, you could ask questions (retrieval event) four times for a microlearning lesson: begin with once a week à then once a fortnight à do it once a month à finally once in two months and then stop.
However, this interval can vary depending on how well the concept is embedded in a learner’s brain.
Recall
Better recall is the desired outcome of spaced retrieval.
Recalling information is a powerful memory builder and modifier.
Recalling is like testing oneself. Recalling or testing (with questions) modifies and strengthens the memory trace of your learner. In other words, recalling makes the memory stronger!
This is why microlearning uses questions not to score a learner but to build memory. Hence, recalling information with testing questions strengthens memory more effectively. Certainly, more effectively than simply passively reading/watching/revisiting learning content.
So, while crafting content, questions, or even spacing your lessons/quizzes, you need to consciously ask yourself- “Will my lesson design build recall?”
The Power of Three in Action
In the production department of a manufacturing company, new process updates usually come in once a week. As their learning manager, you make your microlearning lessons and quizzes every week [Spacing Effect/Spaced Repetition]. You know too much information or questions being dumped on the learner will backfire.
Apart from well-spaced microlearning lessons, you use a quiz every Day 7 and Day 14. This goes on for 8 weeks to build their memory using questions [Spaced Retrieval].
You get both correct and incorrect responses to your quizzes. You score the responses and could also conduct a ‘confidence-based assessment’ to gauge how sure they are about each answer [Recall]. This recall helps you determine if your learner has understood, adequately learned or mastered the topic.
The result: A great microlearning experience. Your learning objectives are assessed, and the desired behaviors are reinforced!
MaxLearn: Leveraging the 3 Concepts
| Principle | How MaxLearn Reflects It | Benefit for Learner/Trainer |
|---|---|---|
| Spaced Repetition | Challenges and Goal Assignments help revisit key content at periodic intervals | Reinforces important learning over time and supports retention |
| Retrieval Practice | Questions, assessments and Challenges motivate learners to retrieve what’s learned earlier | Strengthens active recall rather than relying only on content review |
| Recall | Adaptive questions/assessments and learner-level analytics help track learning progress, learning goals/gaps | Trainers get visibility into what learners know and where further reinforcement is required |
In a nutshell, spacing provides the learning time. Retrieval encourages learners to pull information out of their memory. Recall is all about making learning available when required.
MaxLearn reflects these 3 learning principles. This way, trainers don’t just deliver learning, they reinforce it so that learners can remember and apply it at work.
