The learning retention has become increasingly important in all educational contexts. This is because, generally speaking, people are exposed to a lot of new information every day, and retaining some real knowledge in the face of all this volume is difficult.

In the workplace, it is no longer news that learning retention has substantial value.

But the challenge is to find ways for teams to learn, retain knowledge, and develop their skills - knowing how to apply them at the right time during the work routine.

In this sense, just giving employees access to courses and training is not enough. This is because learning retention happens through a specific pattern.

Therefore, it is fundamental to understand how this process happens, to only then define - strategically - what are the best ways to train the professionals.

The 6 stages of learning retention 

Objectively speaking, learning takes place in 6 stages. Let's get to know them now:

1.    Acquisition

In the first stage there must be the memorable acquisition of a moment by the learner. This can happen through sounds, emotions, sensations, visualization or touching an object, among others.

This is necessary so that the process in the neuronal systems that connect to memory are awakened.

2.    Selection

In the second stage is the selection of the events experienced. It is a kind of separation of the events by importance, done automatically.

3.    Consolidation

Then there is the third stage, which is the consolidation of the most significant events.

These memories will be retained permanently or longer, depending on the importance that the neuronal systems give to the selected events.

4.    Memory

 In the fourth stage, a process known as evocationoccurs, which is nothing more than accessing the information that is stored in the memory.

It is about remembering some information, image, sound, smell, or any elements that have been stored in the memory.

5.    Retention

 The retention, represented by the fifth stage, corresponds to consolidated information that is actually available to be remembered.

6.    Forgetting

In the last stage is forgetting. It is part of the learning retention process, because it dismisses the other events that were thought to be of little relevance.

It is also at this stage that, as knowledge is accessed - repeatedly - the memory understands that such events are not to be forgotten.

As we have seen so far, for learning to happen efficiently, the activities and contents with the purpose of transmitting knowledge need to be meaningful for the learner.

Corporate learning challenges

If on the one hand the market demands well-trained people, on the other hand companies need to find ways to meet this need assertively.

In fact, teaching adult professionals has its own challenges and generates doubts:

· How to propose training for teams with such busy routines?

· How to arouse the employees' interest in learning?

· How to conquer the engagement of the teams?

· What kind of training can contribute to learning retention?

There is no specific answer and no ready-made formula, because each company has its own culture and work style.

However, we can state that it will not be with old learning models. Expositive lectures with passive participation of the learners no longer have a satisfactory effect.

The ideal is to rely on up-to-date methodologies such as gamification, which is proven to be effective in learning retention. We will talk more about this in the next topic.

Learning retention and gamification

Gamification uses games as a tool to present content and promote learning. In this way, both the dynamics and the issues addressed within the game are taken into account.

It is one of the active training methodologies that attracts the most interest and engagement from people. The strategic applicability guarantees benefits that other learning and training methods cannot. Check some of them out:

Retention of learning in memory

As we mentioned before, the memorable acquisition of new knowledge awakens some senses. In this context, games are able to promote various stimuli, among them, the visual and the tactile.

In this way, gamification is able to help with learning retention, making content stick in the memory and be more easily remembered later.

Pleasant learning

Activities aimed at learning are often associated with some kind of obligation. However, gamification changes this scenario, since it proposes playful, fun, and pleasurable activities.

Both the transmission of knowledge and the absorption by the learners are more effective.

Teamwork without losing autonomy

Gamification is designed so that each participant can be the protagonist of his or her own learning process. This encourages autonomy and enhances the sense of responsibility for one's actions.

However, much of the dynamics will involve teamwork, so that each person contributes individually, but the solutions are found as a group.

Learning as a competitive advantage

In the past decade, the term competitive advantage focused on the quality of products and services and their respective prices. But the market transformations that have taken place in recent times show that the "intellectual asset" is what now stands out.

Thus, the current competitive differential is linked to the quality of knowledge of employees, regardless of their hierarchy. Therefore, it is not enough to have diplomas and certifications without actually retaining this learning.

As a result, investing in the training and qualification of employees is a strategic action that will help the company to increase its competitiveness in the market - and improve the performance of the entire business.

Organizational learning

Organizational learning takes place inside or outside the company, directly or indirectly, but constantly and according to the needs of the business. It is a continuous learning option.

Through this process it is possible to improve previous knowledge or generate new knowledge, and contribute to the competitive differential of which we speak. This is because all learning can be applied in favor of the organization's goals.

In this way, the company can invest in periodic training in order to maintain the continuous development of its employees. Gamification is a versatile approach that can be customized and applied to different levels of knowledge.

This way, from trainees to senior management it is possible to enjoy the benefits of this tool and obtain excellent results in learning retention. For this, count on us to help you elaborate a specific project for your organization. Meet AREA67, we are a company specialized in gamified training, present in Europe, Latin America, and acting in North America, with vast experience in raising the performance of teams from the most varied business niches.