Why Spaced Repetition Is Critical for Learning & Retention

The goals of training are changing behavior, increasing efficiency, improving performance, and solving problems.

The only way to do that is to teach learners in a way that they will understand the information, remember it, and be able to apply it in a variety of situations on the job.

It turns out that continuous microlearning is an ideal approach for meaningful — and memorable — learning.

That’s the perfect setup for spaced repetition, a scientifically validated approach to teaching for long-term retention and application.

Let’s examine the brain science behind the concept of continuous microlearning, starting with the Spacing Effect.

The Spacing Effect Builds Long-Term Knowledge Retention

A key principle in building long-term knowledge retention is spaced repetition, an idea that has been repeatedly demonstrated since Hermann Ebbinghaus first experimented with it over 100 years ago.

“Retrieval studies by Ebbinghaus demonstrated the value of spaced practice (many short sessions) over massed practice (a single long session) in LTM [long-term memory]. Further studies confirmed this retrieval spacing effect,” according to Paul Kelley and Terry Whatson in “Making Long-Term Memories in Minutes.”

Ebbinghaus’ research popularized a concept called the “Forgetting Curve,” a graphical depiction of how much learners retain — and how much they forget — over time, after learning ends. From this, the idea of repeating exposure at appropriate intervals emerged.

While many eLearning formats provide learners with a comprehensive — long — course that the learners go through once, offering learning in short sessions, with breaks of varying lengths between sessions, is far more effective.

Kelley and Whatson tested spaced learning to supplement conventional teaching with high-school students to both provide overviews of new material and replace longer course-review sessions — as well as to replace conventional teaching altogether. They found that “one hour of instruction through Spaced Learning had a significantly greater impact than many hours of teaching.”

Forgetting Is Essential to Learning and Knowledge Retention

Spacing out and repeating exposure to information is only one piece of the puzzle.

We’re all exposed to an enormous amount of information and stimuli during a normal day or week. Our brains have to choose what to remember — and what to forget. Research cited in “The Benefit of Forgetting in Thinking and Remembering” by Benjamin C. Storm describes “retrieval-induced forgetting.” That’s a brain mechanism for deciding what to remember and what to forget. “The ability to retrieve and generate information that is wanted, relevant, and appropriate is made possible by the ability to inhibit, and thus forget, information that is unwanted, irrelevant, and inappropriate,” Storm wrote.

One factor in the brain’s determination that something is “wanted” or “relevant” is how often that information is repeated. Multiple encounters with similar information signal the brain to hold onto that knowledge by storing it in long-term memory.

Another signal of importance is how much other stored information is related to a concept or snippet of information. The brain builds connections among pieces of information; the more connections, the more important a fact is deemed to be.

Simple Storage Is Not Enough

For a learner to recall information when it’s needed and apply it to a relevant situation, simply having learned and remembered it is insufficient. Practice at retrieval is also essential.

“Retrieval-based learning appears to be an underused strategy for long-term retention. It involves repeatedly recalling information across multiple study and recall sessions, Connie Malamed wrote in “The Power of Retrieval Practice for Learning.” That dramatically increases long-term retention: “In a summary of the research, one article notes that the information is more resistant to interference; shows a lower forgetting rate; and remains accessible in situations where a person must multitask when attentional processes are heavily loaded,” Malamed wrote.

Continuous Microlearning Puts Brain Science to Work

Microlearning platforms are an ideal way to implement spaced repetition and retrieval practice. An adaptive microlearning platform like OttoLearn uses algorithms to repeat exposure to key content at carefully chosen intervals to ensure that learners retain critical information. Activities call on learners to retrieve and apply the learning in a variety of ways, including mini-scenarios that resemble situations they are likely to encounter at work. Finally, the adaptive character of Otto ensures that the information delivered to each learner is highly relevant and applicable to their learning and career goals.

Calibrating the Algorithm

“Our ability to remember a piece of information depends critically on the number of times we have reviewed it,” as well as the frequency and amount of time between reviews, researchers Behzad Tabibian et al assert in “Enhancing Human Learning via Spaced Repetition Optimization.” Tabibian’s team is working on an algorithm that delivers repetition of material at the optimal interval to foster long-term knowledge retention — a task that the algorithms in OttoLearn also perform.

Otto calculates a unique “forgetting signature” for each learner and each Concept the learner is studying. It calibrates content delivery based on that information, ensuring that each learner gets the right content at the right interval to maximize knowledge retention.

Adopt a Learning and Knowledge Retention Strategy

Don’t just expose learners to massive amounts of content once — or once a year — and assume they know it. Move up to a learning and knowledge retention strategy that ensures learners’ ability to remember and apply what they’ve learned. Realize the full potential return on your training investment with a science-based, proven approach to mastery and knowledge retention: OttoLearn adaptive microlearning.

Interested in learning more? Read The Cognitive Science Behind OttoLearn to discover nine proven principles of learning science that drive OttoLearn’s success.