Knowledge Retention Strategy

It is human nature to forget vital information once in a while. In fact, according to the Forget Curve, it only takes a few days for you to forget information after learning it. By the end of the month, 90% of this information is totally forgotten.

To combat this menace, businesses have invested in strategies such as the use of webinars and unending PowerPoint presentations. But these strategies have proven futile in the bid to improve knowledge retention among employees.

So, how do you combat the forgetting curve where knowledge retention is crucial to the success of your business? Studies have proven that training games are the answer to this maze. According to the Journal of Educational Psychology, training games facilitate better knowledge retention, developing knowledge and cognitive skills compared to other forms of training.

It is no doubt that digital games have the ability to transform information into valuable experience and knowledge that can be used in real-life job situations.

How do games enhance knowledge retention? 

Motivation to learn

Games make learning more desirable to the employees hence increasing their motivation to learn. Using the gaming approach not only stimulates the employee’s knowledge but also facilitates the retention of knowledge passed on from playing the game. Gaming- based learning proves to motivate and engage employees just as much as other tried instructional approaches.

Turn pleasure into learning

When an employee is playing a game for training purposes, dopamine is released which gives them a sense of pleasure. Dopamine is known to stimulate memory and the production of acetylcholine, which can increase knowledge retention and focus.

What are the benefits of using games to boost knowledge retention? 

1. Employees that play training games have a high knowledge retention capacity compared to those who use other forms of training. These employees also retain more training knowledge.
2. Employees that undertake training through games, exhibit a high probability of logging in for training as compared to those who do not participate in training games. Therefore, chances of knowledge retention are greatly improved as they relearn concepts over and over.
3. Those employees that play training games have high engagement levels.

How do you use games to improve knowledge retention?

Have employees play in short bursts

Let the employees play the games for a few minutes at a time. Such patterns increase employee knowledge retention capacity: human beings tend to grasp and recall more information when training periods are divided into small chunks.

Use engaging gameplay to motivate the players

It is advisable to keep in mind the preferences of your employees. For example, you can opt for custom made games so that the characters can feel more appropriate to the player. Simple games also help in knowledge retention, this is because the employees use less mental energy to understand the game’s rules.

Add external resources

Even though knowledge retention games are designed to help a trainee remember specific particulars, finding and locating the right information can also add up as a goal. Linking external resources such as videos and pdf can be helpful since they aid in the provision of a richer learning experience.

Use analytics

Analytics will let the employees pinpoint their weak and strong points. Therefore, they are able to concentrate on their strong areas and continually improve on their weak points.

Verdict

It is no doubt that games can boost knowledge retention without much hassle. The use of visuals, which is more appealing to the eye compared to mere text, facilitates recalling of vital training information.