The forgetting curve: how quickly do we forget what we learn?

When we memorize something, we tend to forget it quickly because we do not engage deeply or repeatedly with the content. The brain tends to discard information that is not connected to an experience or has only been encountered superficially. This is known as the forgetting curve: the process through which learned content is gradually forgotten.

The more intense a memory is, the longer it lasts. Even so, content needs reinforcement and review to improve retention over time. The term was coined by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in his book *Über das Gedächtnis: Untersuchungen zur experimentellen Psychologie*.

Ebbinghaus determined that one day after studying without reviewing, up to 50% of the material can be forgotten; after two days, at most 30% is remembered, and after seven days without review, as little as 3% may remain. His conclusion was that learning needs frequent review and practice to be maintained, or it eventually fades.

Why do we forget what we learn?

The brain does this to avoid overwhelming us with information. It selects topics of interest, information connected to past experiences and material reviewed repeatedly. This tells the brain what is important and should not be discarded.

Two key factors are needed to retain a high proportion of information: quality learning and repetition.

The spaced repetition principle

Following Ebbinghaus's framework, the best way to review information is through the spaced repetition principle. This method proposes that the best time to revisit information is just before it is about to be forgotten, at intervals.

Mobile devices now make this easy. A click gives us access to information we can review as often as we wish. The more we review information, the more firmly it is stored in long-term memory and the less pronounced the forgetting curve becomes.

Schema theory

The information we review and want to memorize must also have meaning: it needs to connect with our interests or past experiences. This was studied by Frederic Bartlett, a British psychologist and precursor of contemporary cognitive psychology.

This process is known as schema theory. It holds that memories and thoughts are mental reconstructions based on factors such as social and emotional interests. This creates a real connection with what we experience, because information already stored in the brain influences how we process new knowledge.

Today, mobile learning is ready to address learning's challenges and become the future of workplace learning. At Closelly, we use gamification, microlearning and other approaches to flatten the forgetting curve.