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Make it stick: 6 tips for driving learner recall

As most of us probably realize, the ability of learners to recall information post-instruction is critical.  Without recall, nothing else matters. Learners who can’t recall information can’t practice or apply it—much less build on it. 

Theoretically, of course, today’s learners could look up all the facts and concepts related to a training at point of need.  And in the early days of the internet, this very idea was advanced by some pundits: that human memory was passé now that anyone could look up anything just by googling it.

Not surprisingly, this turned out to be a pathetically sad underestimation of the complexity of targeted data and connections required to make even rudimentary meaning out of straightforward subjects. Googling is great for researching popular opinion and discrete bits of information; but real learning is much more complex than one-to-one correspondence lookups.

Here’s the good news: What googling and honing AI prompts alone can’t do to drive learner recall, instructional designers, authors, and site designers can help learners achieve by applying the following 6 strategies.

1. Prepare learners to recall.

Provide learners a table of contents that chunks and organizations information in text form.  A well-designed table of contents presents a sensible scope and sequence, which enables learners to:

1. Construct a mental frame on which to hang specific facts and concepts for later recall.
2. Activate any prior knowledge they have about the content, which also assists in recall.
3. Make instant connections among topics, including part to whole relationships and dependencies, which assists in storage and recall.
4. Set expectations in terms of the learning effort required, which boosts adult learner confidence and helps them plan their attack.

2. Build content with recall in mind.

Present content that’s as clear, concise, complete, and as easy for learners to read as possible. Emphasize important information, supplementing with illustrations and/or video as necessary.

3. Help learners build connections for both short- and long-term recall.

Analyzing and glossing content for learners—whether that content is presented in the form of text, video, or as part of a live lecture or demonstration—helps learners build the connections necessary for them to remember it in the short term and also to hook new information into long-term memory to help them recall it more easily and more accurately over time.  To help learners build connections:

1. Define terms.
2. Explain the reasons behind any facts or concepts learners find confusing.
3. Group like information.
4. Use metaphors.
5. Tell stories.
6. Compare and contrast information.
7. Point out patterns and connections.
8. Offer helpful mnemonics.
9. Point out how information is similar to (or differs from) information learners already know.
10. Point out information that breaks expectations.
11. Demonstrate facts, concepts, or skills, talking learners through each step.
12. Impress the value, importance, or relevance of the material to learners’ personal or professional success.

4. Set learner expectations around the effort involved in driving recall. 

Recalling large amounts of unfamiliar information takes time. Explaining this clearly—and emphasizing the value of “front loading” (spending a disproportionate amount of time at the beginning of instruction engaging with material)—discourages last-minute “cramming” and reduces the chance of learners feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or incapable. Setting expectations around effort supports learners in taking the steps necessary for successful recall.

5. Provide repeated, thoughtfully layered exposure to the content most important for learners to recall. 

The following 1-2-3 approach bakes in the repetition necessary to drive recall while maximizing the efficient use of both learner and instructor time. By the end of the third layer, learners will have been exposed to the same material three times; and any questions, gaps, or misunderstandings that resulted from the first two exposures can be expertly handled by the instructor during the live session.

1. Read content first, then
2. Watch a video that presents the same content, and finally
3. Attend a live interactive session that presents the same content.

6. Craft activities and assessments designed to promote recall.

To help your learners engage with and recall information:

1. Provide multiple small-stakes assessments at the beginning of training whose purpose is to encourage learners to engage with the material not just by consuming passively, but by taking meaningful action.  Depending on the subject, effective options might include asking learners to read content aloud (to themselves or to each other); to copy materials by handwriting them; to reinterpret materials by sketching them, restating them, or presenting them in a different form; to explain content to each other; or to discuss content with each other.
2. Ensure assessments include detailed, nuanced feedback. This feedback can take the form of auto-graded assessments, or simple answer keys for self- and peer-reviewed assessments.  The goal here is to provide feedback for each question or activity that explains reasons and strengthens connections and understanding (vs. simple “correct/incorrect” feedback).
3. Employ a spiral assessment approach. Instead of “one and done” assessment strategies that present questions about a topic and then never refer to that topic again, create multiple assessments that build on each other from the beginning of training to the end. For example, the second assessment you provide should include a few questions (restated) that appeared on the first assessment; the third assessment should include a few questions (restated) that appeared on the second and first assessments; and so on. Repeated exposure to critical components via successive assessments helps to strengthen both understanding and recall.

The bottom line

If driving recall is our goal, the oft-suggested repetition and engagement strategies are valuable—but to be effective, these strategies need to be supported content construction and presentation, both of which play crucial roles in preparing learners for, supporting, and enabling recall.

And that’s just one reason why effective instructional materials designed by actual human beings won’t be replaceable by googling or chatbots any time soon.

What’s YOUR take?

How important is recall in your field?  Is your team more concerned with short-term recall assessment scores (e.g., for management reports) or long-term application of facts and concepts (aka evaluation)?  What strategies have you found to be most effective in driving recall in your audiences? Please considering sharing your experiences in the comment box below.

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