Dive Brief:

• Although access to education resources has grown, myths about how people learn continue to hold back learning initiatives, learning technology company Cerego said in a report released Thursday.  
• The analysis of over 1 billion interactions from more than 1.5 million Cerego users found that platforms make a difference: mobile users in the report studied twice as much and learned twice as much as their desktop-only user counterparts. Cerego also found that smaller classes were not more beneficial. Students in classes of 200 or more made 53% more progress toward assigned goals than those in five- to 20-person classes, the study said.
• According to Cerego, users learned best between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m., but recalled information most accurately between 7 a.m. and 8 a.m. Users forgot 70% of training in a 24-hour period, according to the company's analysis, and forgot as much as 90% after a 30-day period. But the company said that small daily sessions three to five minutes can lead to improvements in long-term knowledge retention.

Dive Insight:

Debunking assumptions about how people learn can help employers establish programs that meet employees' needs. The application of science to learning is not new, but employers may need to ensure their programs actually match up with recommendations from those in the field. Experts who previously spoke to HR Dive said those in charge of learning programs should place an emphasis on deep learning that crosses multiple cognitive areas and that occurs in small batches. Other recommendations include supporting and setting aside time for training, and doing self-assessments.

Employers are also looking to new formats for delivering training, like Walmart's recent commitments to virtual reality tech and training as a benefit. But even the most sophisticated programs need to create stopgaps to prevent learning fatigue. Keeping learning material updated and relevant, as well as allowing for flexibility that permits employees to fit learning into their schedules when it's most convenient are potential strategies.

Workers across the board are looking to increase their skill sets and improve their value in the marketplace. A July study by Clutch found that 70% would be likely to participate in employer-provided training if it was offered to them, yet half said it had been a year or more since they last received job re-training. Despite lagging investment, nearly two-thirds of employees in a May Randstad report said they planned to find training opportunities independently this year.