Without attention learning doesn’t occur. That’s a fact in education and workplace training.
We see the effects of distraction in the workplace learning. Here’s just two recent instances from the workplace:
Twelve minutes into an important Zoom based training for 62 learners, zero were still present and attentive at the 12 minute mark.
When attention was measured during the live on-line onboarding of 86 pharma reps, only 7 were still engaged at the 15 minute mark.
We are in an undeclared war for the attention of our family, friends, and colleagues. Today it’s normal to sit in a restaurant and see a family all staring at their phones. The battle for attention is most fierce during classes and training sessions in schools and in the workplace.
High frequency interactions (HIFIs) are activities that occur more frequently than twice per minute. They consist of asking questions, answering questions, clicking buttons, writing responses, scrolling, dragging and dropping, and otherwise physically responding to lesson stimuli.
The more frequent the interactions, the more attentive the users and the more effective the training.
Duolingo and Anki Pro are exemplars of high frequency interactions, commanding an extraordinary rate of 40-60 interactions per minute (IPMs)! Both platforms are highly rated by users and growing their subscription base because users want constant stimulation.
Their approach – essentially flash card repetition presented at algorithm managed intervals – is ideal for acquiring simple foundation knowledge – such as short phrases in a new language. DuoLingo sessions typically last 10-15 minutes with Anki dwell time similar.
The rapid fire approaches works in both online and in-person, teacher led classes.
REACHUM’s learning platform is used for adult learning content, including onboarding, compliance training, management development, and upskilling.
Attention is at a premium when onboarding sessions are long and arduous, particularly for businesses where regulatory compliance training is mandated, such as life sciences and financial services.
It’s common for pharma rep onboarding to take place over an arduous 4 or 5 weeks, alternating between live classes and asynchronous self-study. It’s reported that 44% of reps leave within their first 1-2 years because of ineffective onboarding. We’ve worked with clients who had a new rep failure rate of 50% before implementing high frequency interactions.
Microlearning delivers small chunks of focused content followed by activities that use the content – “retrieval practice” in the jargon of Cognitive Load Theory.
Microlearning modules typically last for 8-10 minutes and provide multiple interactions. For the simplest multiple choice questions it’s making a selection and clicking submit. For time-based game challenges we routinely see as many as 12 IPMs.
A Kendall’s Tau Correlation of .82-.88 shows a strong correlation between IPMs and assessment performance.
Children within my immediate family have tested below grade level in both reading and math, fundamental areas where competence is required to progress in other learning areas including writing, the sciences, and social sciences. These kids prefer the immediate gratification of sports and video games rather than the prolonged focus required for academic accomplishment.
They are at risk. Without mastering academic essentials, their options in life will be severely limited. Research identifies a strong correlation between learner struggles and behavioral problems. Students act-out to divert attention for fear of being identified as a substandard learner.
High-frequency interactions within game-based learning are changing the fortunes of these kids.
The models for high frequency interaction demonstrated by Duolingo, online, and StepLab, in-person. demonstrate how constant activity can transform the learning from distraction to vigorous participation. We recommend a similar approach for the workplace, including compliance training, technical skills development, and management training. We built REACHUM for HIFIs.
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