Rethinking Corporate Training: How Teach-to-Learn Bridges the Time Gap Between Education and Application

In today's fast-paced corporate world, learning initiatives too often resemble obligatory tasks, lacking engagement and failing to yield lasting results. This is a significant challenge for organisations committed to continuous improvement and learning. To address these shortcomings, let’s look at how the teach-to-learn method is an approach that can be used to enhance learning outcomes and make the learning process more engaging.?

The challenge of traditional Corporate Learning?

In the scope of corporate development, traditional learning methods are currently under executives’ scrutiny. Despite the significant investments that companies make in training programmes, as L&D is becoming a top priority, the actual long-term outcomes often fall short of expectations. This became clear to us after speaking with a variety of L&D experts in the consulting sector, trainers, and learning designers. They realised that if consultants do not use their learning right away, they usually forget it.?

This risk of losing newly learned information can be explained by the Forgetting Curve. It was initially plotted by Hermann Ebbinghaus in his research in the 1880s and is still highly regarded by the scientific community.

The curve is based on the assumption that, without immediate and ongoing revision, knowledge fades away almost as quickly as it's acquired.? The biggest drop in learning retention happens right after the learning.

Research indicates that individuals forget up to 75% of new information within 6 days if it’s not applied.?

This rapid decline in memory highlights a fundamental flaw in the traditional approach to corporate learning, which often does not emphasise an immediate application of the newly learned skills. As well as point out the need for strategies that ensure that training can be put into practice immediately.?

Therefore, an approach that combines the need for quick revision with application in an interesting or meaningful setting could greatly improve training effectiveness.

Teach-to-learn

In our last article, ‘The science behind teach-to-learn: Why teaching others helps us learn better’, we covered the science behind the effectiveness of the teach-to-learn method and how it is used in different settings, such as academia and business.?

The key idea can be summarised in three points:?

1. Expecting to teach enhances learning outcomes even without an actual teaching session.?
2. Teaching reveals knowledge gaps by creating a feedback loop.?
3. Simplifying complex topics requires true understanding.?

Teach to learn in the corporate context?

Now how can this be used in a corporate setting that already offers training for their employees??

Teach-to-learn in the corporate context can be based on three contact points with the learning material.?

The general idea is quite simple:?

1. Employees pay more attention during training, knowing they will have to teach it.?
2. Employees revise the training content to prepare for teaching.

1. Employees teach their learning to peers with less expertise in the topic.?

The three contact points between employees and the learning material can help corporates overcome the current challenges of corporate learning.?

This approach addresses the forgetting curve by requiring employees to pay close attention during the initial training, as they expect to teach the material later. They then revise the material in a timely manner to prepare for teaching, before finally delivering the lesson. The teach-to-learn method makes learning more engaging and fun, as teaching others is a highly rewarding activity.?

Conclusion

To sum up, the challenge of quickly forgotten training in the corporate world needs a robust solution. The teach-to-learn approach not only counters the natural tendency to forget but also makes learning an active and engaging process. By expecting to teach, employees retain information more effectively and also identify and fill their knowledge gaps. This method transforms passive learning into an interactive experience that is both enjoyable and effective.??

Stay tuned for our next discussion on the potential of teach-to-learn to foster corporate social responsibility. Follow us on LinkedIn to keep up with our latest insights, and visit our website to learn more.