Conventional wisdom says that a student will forget up to 87 percent of what they have been taught in the first 24–48 hours after an instructor-led class. “I taught them but they didn’t learn it.” Does that change with online learning? Having been an instructor for online learning, I can say from experience that the online environment, despite the additional conversation between students and instructor, does not guarantee retention. After class, in the online forum, I am frequently dismayed to find basic questions coming up again. Does this mean I was ineffective? That they weren’t listening?
The Merlot Journal of Online Learning & Teaching Vol. 11, June 2015 states:
Overall, there is strong evidence to suggest that online learning is at least as effective as the traditional format, but the evidence is, by no means, conclusive. Online learning is a story that is still being written, and how it progresses will likely depend on those present.
There are different styles of learning: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. Online learning, like the traditional classroom, works best for auditory and perhaps visual learners due to the slides or images used. Kinesthetic learners are told to use a highlighter or take written notes. In point of fact, all learners should take written notes.
The web publication Delivering Training offers a clue to the problem of retention may be found here:
Whereas taking more notes can be beneficial, laptop notetakers’ tendency to transcribe lectures verbatim rather than processing information and reframing it in their own words is detrimental to learning. One interesting fact is that typing notes on a laptop means the student is repeating verbatim what is being said. Taking notes in longhand requires the student to think about the material and absorb it. Hence, the longhand learner has an advantage.
And it gives the kinesthetic learner something to do. As learning styles are inherent in the personality of the student, it is beneficial to make a student stop (even if it’s just for a second) to think about what he or she is hearing.
There is certainly a plethora of online learning courses and environments. From video base learning through games and virtual reality environments, there are all kinds of ways to learn. Does it change retention to be online? There is no doubt that students feel like it does, but that is not always borne out by the facts.
That can’t be the only thing. And it isn’t. Further, the studies show that discussion groups enhance learning by up to 50 percent. However, there are Edgar Dale studies showing that the best way to ensure learning retention is by providing immediate application of the subject. And there is reason to believe this practice by doing, and immediate application covers all styles of learning. This is often the case in business education so those of us who provide such education can be reassured that we are not wasting our time.
| Teaching Method | Knowledge Retention |
| See/Hear—Lecture | 5% |
| Reading | 10% |
| Audio Visual / Video | 20% |
| Demonstration | 30% |
| Discussion group | 50% |
| Practice by doing | 75% |
| Teaching others | 90% |
| Immediate application of learning in a real situation | 90% |
Having these statistics is helpful. Giving tests after each module or real-world application simulations is also helpful. Ultimately, if the student wants to learn the subject, he or she will. That has been true throughout the educational process. We can make it easier or more fun, but we cannot instill the urge to learn in any student regardless of whether he or she is business- or school-based.