10 Strategies to Combat the Ebbinghaus Retention Curve

The Ebbinghaus retention curve, also known as the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, is a theory on memory that states that humans forget almost 70% of new information within the first 24 hours of learning it. The Ebbinghaus retention curve illustrates the importance of reinforcement and revision for effective, long-lasting learning. This article will explore different strategies for designing instruction to combat this pattern of forgetting so learners get the most out of learning experiences.

Understanding the Ebbinghaus Retention Curve

According to the Ebbinghaus’ theory, learners forget information at a few crucial temporal milestones after first encountering it.

They forget 40-50% of the information within the first 20 minutes
By 24 hours, they have forgotten 70% of the new information
After a week of learning new information, they can only recall 10% of it

However, the good news is that the amount of information learners retain can be maximized with the right strategies.

Factors That Influence the Ebbinghaus Retention Curve

Before looking at ways to negate the effects of the Ebbinghaus retention curve, let us first understand what impacts how much we remember and forget the first time we encounter information:

The pace of learning – Instruction that is delivered quickly, without giving learners the time for it to steep, is forgotten quicker than information that is delivered at a reasonable pace in well-defined sessions.
The duration of learning – Tying in with quickness, instruction that is delivered in a short period of time will also be forgotten quicker because learners spend comparatively lesser time with the information.
The volume of information – If a large amount of information is delivered in a short and quick timeframe, learners won’t retain it well due to cognitive overload.

Strategies to Combat the Ebbinghaus Retention Curve

Looking at the factors that influence forgetting, it is clear that learning should be delivered at a consistent pace, over a longer period of time, and in manageable chunks.

Here are some strategies that have proven to combat the Ebbinghaus retention curve effectively:

Spaced Repetition: Spaced repetition is the most popular counter to the Ebbinghaus retention curve. In spaced repetition, learners revise information through active recall at crucial intervals where significant forgetting happens. For instance, a learner might revise a lesson they took the previous day through a quiz. Spaced repetition is an evidence-based revision technique with proven efficacy. It can be incorporated into learning programs through routine active recall revision activities such as quizzes, flashcards, fill in the blank exercises, etc.
Microlearning Content: Another effective strategy for managing the Ebbinghaus retention curve is microlearning. Microlearning enables learners to revisit content in short, focused bursts. Microlearning is an excellent technique for making revision feel like less of a chore, increasing the likelihood of learners partaking in it enthusiastically. Microlearning content is also versatile in terms of format. It can be provided as posters, infographics, eLearning courses, gamified learning, and more, making it a flexible solution that can fit a wide variety of L&D projects.
Managing the Cognitive Load of Content: As mentioned, a large volume of content makes it harder to retain information. Hence, to ensure the Ebbinghaus retention curve doesn’t get the best of your learners, it is recommended to manage the cognitive load of the content. To put it simply, managing cognitive load means reducing the amount of information presented to learners at a given point. This could mean within a topic, within a session, or on an eLearning course’s screen. Human brains are best at processing 5-9 pieces of information in a single moment. Thus, keep sessions focused, succinct, and light.
Build on Learners’ Existing Knowledge: You can also facilitate greater knowledge retention by activating learners’ prior knowledge before presenting new information. This can be done through recaps, reflection questions, refresher videos, and more. Activating prior knowledge gives learners more context and helps them construct new understanding on a solid foundation.
Provide Practice Opportunities: This is a similar concept to spaced repetition, but more focused on the application of learning. Give learners opportunities to immediately apply the information they are learning through activities. This prompts learners to deeply process the information and solve problems with it using their critical thinking abilities, making it more likely that they will retain it for longer.
Provide Feedback: You can also combat the Ebbinghaus retention curve by providing feedback during activities. Let learners know what they got right and what they got wrong and then reflect the key concepts back to them to reinforce it.
Encourage Informal and Self-directed Learning: Informal and self-directed learning is often more meaningful due to the personal motivation it stems from. Give learners opportunities to learn on their own and through each other so that their learning is more personally relevant, and, thus more likely to be retained and revisited.
Provide Rewards and Reinforcements for Revisions: You can also make revision inherently motivating by reinforcing it with rewards. These rewards can be of many different kinds, such as daily streaks, badges, achievements, leaderboards, bonus content, or material perks. Rewards add an extra dimension to revision, increasing the likelihood of learners who would not otherwise revisit content to do so.

Utilize the Primacy and Recency Effects to Your Learners’ Benefit: The primacy effect is when people remember initial information better. Conversely, the recency effect is when people remember the information at the end better. You can use these effects to your learners’ benefit when designing training programs. For instance, put the most important topics at the beginning or begin with a course summary or learning objectives. Similarly, end the course or module with a recap of all the main points to call learners’ attention to them once again.

Take Advantage of External Conditions: Lastly, take advantage of external conditions such as the learning environment, learners’ energy levels, time of day, etc. For instance, learners retain information better when they are well-rested. Hence, scheduling learning sessions on a Monday may be effective. You can also give learners the flexibility to learn when they are in the right headspace for it by providing asynchronous training options. Additionally, ensure learners have a quiet and comfortable environment to learn in, be it live training or eLearning.

Conclusion

The Ebbinghaus retention curve is a well-documented theory with evidence supporting its occurrence. However, with strategic design choices, it can be combatted. L&D professionals have a wide range of options to utilize to ensure learners retain as much information as possible. The added benefit of designing courses to maximize retention is an elevated, learner-friendly learning experience.

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Strategies to combat the Ebbinghaus retention curve

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is the Ebbinghaus retention curve?

The Ebbinghaus retention curve is a graphical representation of the forgetting that occurs over time after an individual encounters new information.

What is the theory of Ebbinghaus?

According to the Ebbinghaus’ theory, learners forget information at a few crucial temporal milestones after first encountering it.

How much do we forget in 24 hours?

It is estimated that humans forget 70% of new information within the first 24 hours.