Beyond the one and done:
The benefits of continuous learning
The constant change in today’s pharmaceutical marketplace requires businesses to be innovative, agile and experts in the latest data. Continuous learning, the process of reinforcing and expanding knowledge and skills on an on-going basis, is an essential tool in ensuring that employees remain proficient and adaptable in the long-term.
At Pharma Knowledge Academy, we believe that continuous learning is key to building effective training courses that promote long-term knowledge retention and the continued developmentof skills and expertise.
Benefits of continuous learning
Ensures learners can adapt quickly to new information or changing environments.
Promotes skills sharing, development of best practices and discovering opportunities for growth.
Promotes skills sharing, development of best practices and discovering opportunities for growth.
The ‘forgetting curve’ and knowledge retention
Learners forget ~50% of new information within an hour, ~70% within a day and up to 90% within the first week.
The ‘forgetting curve’ was first described by German psychologist Herman Ebbinghaus in the 1880s. He demonstrated how memory retention declines over time if there is no effort to retain it, with the biggest drop in retention occurring immediately after learning and then continuing to fall at a slower rate over the next days and weeks.
So how can we overcome this?
By spacing learning across a wider period of time and encouraging learners to revisit material, we can refresh our memory, reinforce retention and highlight knowledge gaps.
Additionally, higher original learning reduces rate of forgetting –the better you understand and engage with the material, the more likely you are to retain learning for longer.
How can we promote continuous learning?
Bite-sized learning
divides heavy content into digestible sessions, increasing engagement and reducing cognitive overload.
Mobile learning
increases accessibility, so learners can complete and repeat training anywhere, at any time.
Blended learning
strengthens understanding by combining self-paced online training with classroom-based learning.
Consolidation activities
reinforce understanding and promote active recall of learned information.
Gamification
motivates continued improvement of improve knowledge and skills, by rewarding learning achievements.
Real-world relevance
brings content to life by adding context and meaning, e.g. patient experience or skills application.
How can Pharma Knowledge Academy help?
We can incorporate the benefits of continuous learning into your training programmes with training assets that are engaging, reinforce learning and ensure your employees remain experts on all the latest information.
Interested in learning more? Contact info@pharmamarketingacademy.com
To discuss the specific continuous learning needs of your organisation or to find out more about what we can offer, contact: pharmaknowledgeacademy@ashfieldhealthcare.com
