As a professional, you are constantly learning. Whether you’re learning informally through reading an article or conducting research, or in an educational setting like a seminar or online classroom, so many experiences can provide new and important information that enhance your skills and overall knowledge. However, there’s a big difference between absorbing information and putting what you’ve learned into practice. Without doing the latter, the training you’ve received will go to waste, so it’s important to have a strategy for implementing your learning (FCC, 2018).
Before I delve fully into how to make your theoretical knowledge practical, let me explain what is meant by learning transfer. It “refers to learning in one context and applying it in another, i.e. the capacity to apply acquired knowledge and skills to new situations.”
In all, there are three distinct types of transfer:
- The transfer from prior knowledge to learning,
- The transfer from old learning to new learning, and
- The transfer from learning to an application (Alton, 2017).
Now that you’ve understood what is meant by learning transfer, let’s talk about ways in which it can happen.
Focus on the relevance of what you’re learning. Research shows that when learning is relevant, students are able to connect what they’re learning to what they already know and build new neural connections and long-term memory storage. So if you want your learning to be engaging and to be able to remember it in other contexts, it’s important to establish relevance early on. Think about how you might apply what you’re learning today in your future job or everyday life and then try to tie it to some of your short or long-term goals.
For instance, if one of your long-term goals is to land a job in IT, focusing on how your course will help you reach that goal can make even the most tedious study material seem more engaging, because you understand that it’s important to your future goals (Stenger, 2017).
Identify your top strengths. In order to transfer what you have learned into actionable steps, it’s important to follow research-based concepts, such as applying your strengths. We all have our strengths that assist us in completing our tasks with satisfaction and excellence. Apply your strengths to your SMART (smart, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely) goals and get ready to grow (FCC, 2018).
Enlist a feedback partner to make the learning stick. Two essential components of effective learning programs are accountability and feedback to ensure that the learning is being implemented. During some training programs, Loren Margolis’ company implements feedback buddies who share their learning goals and meet in between sessions to hold each other accountable for implementing them. They share successes and give feedback on tackling challenges (FCC, 2018).
Take time to reflect and self-explain. Before you can transfer knowledge to new contexts, you need to understand the concept inside and out, which is why it’s important to take time for reflection and self-explanation. Research shows that self-explanation can help you to identify any incorrect assumptions, lead to a deeper understanding of the material, and ultimately promote knowledge transfer. So when you’re learning about something that’s completely new to you, take a moment to think about how you would explain it in your own words, whether this means using simpler words that are easier for you to remember or finding a way to connect the new information to something you already know by using real-world examples (Stenger, 2017).
Use a variety of learning media. Another way to facilitate the transfer of learning to new contexts is to use as many different learning media as possible, from text and imagery to video and audio. Research shows that using pictures, narration, and text can help prevent your cognitive resources from becoming overloaded and improve learning transfer. One study found that learners who used relevant visuals were able to retain more information and scored higher on transfer tests than those who used only text. They also perceived the content as easier to learn when visuals were used. Even if your course doesn’t have visuals or narration built into it, you can try to find ways to supplement what you’re learning by using a variety of educational resources such as YouTube and TED Talks or iTunes U, EdX, and Coursera (Stenger, 2017).
Create metrics for learning: A new skill isn’t learned until it is practiced and implemented successfully. So, create your own improvement metric specific to the skill. This could be a new action repeated or an old behavior deleted. Then, once that is achieved, set the next level of metric to continue improving (FCC, 2018).
Supplement your learning with continuity training: Eighty percent of training dollars are wasted annually when continuity training programs are not put in place. Sustenance coaching helps organizations and employees by giving them the means to develop and support the formation of critical, self-sustaining habits. It takes time to implement what you’ve learned. Hire outside coaches that complement and supplement internal leadership practices (FCC, 2018).
Change things up as often as possible. It’s easy to get stuck in a rut with your learning by studying around the same time, in the same location, and using the same study strategies every day. But when you get used to constantly studying in the same way, it can be difficult to transfer the knowledge you acquire to new environments and situations. Research shows that organizing your learning in a more random way improves retention and transfer after (but not during) the training. So although studying in different environments and conditions may initially make it harder to remember what you’re learning, in the long run it will help you retain the information more effectively (Stenger, 2017).
Identify any gap in your knowledge. Without a complete understanding of the concept or information you’re learning, transferring it to new contexts will be more difficult. With this in mind, it’s important to identify any gaps in your knowledge and then work on strengthening your weaker areas. One excellent way to do this is through practice testing, as you’ll be able to see exactly what types of questions you’re consistently getting wrong and what topics you have yet to master. Similarly, practice tests will also show you which topics you have already mastered, which allows you to focus on the areas that need the most work (Stenger, 2017).
References
Alton, L (2017). 3 Ways to Improve Transfer of Learning in the Workplace. Retrieved from https://www.business.com/articles/3-ways-to-improve-transfer-of-learning-in-the-workplace/
FCC (2018). 14 Actionable Ways to Implement your Learning. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/01/16/put-it-into-practice-14-actionable-ways-to-implement-your-learning/#ee0a5b665ed8
Stenger, M (2017). 10 Ways to Improve Transfer of Learning. Retrieved from https://www.opencolleges.edu.au/informed/features/10-ways-improve-transfer-learning/
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(C) 2021, Alan Elangovan, All Copy Rights Reserved.