Learning Transfer is a topic that has received a great deal of research. In a time where our profession is focused on ROI, proving the transfer of learning is essential. But the concept of learning transfer is not always well-defined for the learning and performance professional. Let’s fix that.

In the introduction to his white paper, the Seven Step Program for eLearning Improvement, Clark N. Quinn says: “…we are trying to achieve retention of the learning intervention, and transfer of that information to all relevant situations even if not seen in the learning experience.”

Retention is the ability to recall the information we learned. It is highly perishable. When we walk out of the training room, our recall of the information received begins to atrophy immediately, like the value of a car starts to drop the minute you drive it off the lot.

Transfer is the ability to use the learning in a new setting. Usually, that is back on the job. However, Quinn highlights a nuance to transfer – it isn’t the ability to just use the learning back on the job, but the ability to transfer the information and apply the learning to any relevant situation.

It is critical to any learning effort that we account for retention and transfer of learning. An organization’s responsibility to support a learning effort does not just apply in the classroom.

There are things we can do to help support retention and transfer in our learning design.

• Make it meaningful – if it engages the learner, they will remember better
• Practice skills in more than one context – start the transfer process before the learner leaves the classroom.
• Encourage learners to develop an action plan. Ask them to verbalize specifically what they will do to be sure they do remember what they have learned.
• Develop a follow up plan in your learning design. Support the learning with discussion via your organization’s mobile messaging tool. Send reminders via email to both learners and supervisors.

And here is one last thought. If, during the design process, you engage your stakeholders in defining how transfer should be supported, they will be more likely to stay engaged in supporting the transfer once the learning is implemented.

I found the following links helpful in learning more about retention and transfer of learning:

http://www.quinnovation.com/Resources.html
http://otec.uoregon.edu/learning_theory.htm#transfer
http://www.maqweb.org/maqslides/powerpoint/New_Mods/TOL/TOLnotes.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transfer_of_learning
http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/thinking/docs/traencyn.htm
http://honolulu.hawaii.edu/intranet/committees/FacDevCom/guidebk/teachtip/adults-2.htm