How to make your learners remember more
Imagine: You have spent weeks designing an amazing e-learning course with rich content, interactive elements and real-world case studies. However, when you ask learners to apply the material two weeks later, they hardly remember anything. Frustrating, right?
you are not alone. One of the biggest challenges in teaching design is not only teaching content, but also attracting learners to retain and apply it. Good news? With a little understanding of our brain processing information, you can design courses that not only provide content, but can really stick to the audience.
Why learners forget
The human brain is amazing, but it has limitations. One of them is working memory: it can only hold some information at once. Think of it as a small whiteboard and all thinking happens. If you are confused with too much information, there is no room left to process or establish a connection.
That’s where Long-term memory Come in – the filing cabinet of the brain. The purpose of any course should be to move the information from a small whiteboard (working memory) into a filing cabinet (long-term memory) that can be pulled out when needed.
So, how do we do this effectively?
Course design strategies that promote memory
Here are three research-supported strategies you can use now to help your learners retain more of their learning:
1. Construct your content
Have you ever tried remembering your phone number once? It is much easier when it is divided into chunks (e.g., 123-456-7890). Your learners handle e-learning the same way.
hint: Break down your content into bite-sized segments. Use bullet points, short video clips and visually separated blocks of text. Adobe Caintivate can use content blocks and widgets (such as flip cards or tab layouts) to naturally combine related concepts together.
2. Connect new information to what they already know
Memory is not created in orphans, it is built on existing knowledge. The more connections there are between learners, the easier it is to remember new ideas.
How to do: Use analogies, metaphors, or real-life examples to which they can be associated. Includes case studies or program-based learning where new information is applied to familiar situations. Adobe Captivate’s scene slideshows and character blocks are a great tool to simulate real-world settings for learners.
3. Use real-world practice
Honestly – no effort to remember what they read on the slide deck. We remember to do it. This is called knowledge transfer – convey what you have learned and apply it to new situations.
Design concept: Add exercises, interactive quizzes, or drag-and-drop activities. Try flipping card widgets or “click to browse” elements in charm to encourage exploration and repetition. These tools keep the brain active and help strengthen memory.
Beyond Slides
What helps learners remember is not to pour more information onto the slide, but to make that information meaningful and manageable. Here is a simple framework to guide your design:
- Minimize chaos. Only relevant content is included.
- Engage in visual effects and interactivity. Let learners explore at their own pace with their carousels or tag widgets.
- Repeat important information in new ways. Use animation, dubbing and subtitles to come up with the same idea in different formats.
Remember: It’s not about knowing. It’s about doing it.
Ultimately, your learners need not only know something, but also use it. So ask yourself: Are you building a course that dumps data? Or someone who can help learners think, connect and act?
The difference is how you build content. And, with tools available in Adobe Caintivate, such as Interactive widgets, scenario-based templates, and real-time feedback elements, you have everything you need to create a course, which is not only memorable, but also meaningful.
So, the next time you start designing a course, remember the learner’s brain. Help them think less about memory and learn more about understanding. Because when you think of memory, you are not just teaching, you can change.
