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Skill Pills by Sponge – impact research: Content retention assessment.
Skill Pills by Sponge – impact research: Content retention assessment.
Date:
This research compares the microlearning approach seen in Skill Pills by Sponge to traditional e-learning methods reveals surprising insights into content retention and engagement. The results challenge conventional wisdom about corporate communication and training, suggesting that when it comes to conveying key messages, less might actually be more.
Background.
Employee engagement takes many different forms within organisations. A popular method is for leaders to communicate directly with their staff by distributing videos online that relate to their key messages.
Skill Pills are two-minute audiovisual training or communication briefings delivered directly to mobile devices or online. They provide learners with the skills to complete a task whenever and wherever they need them.
Research aim.
This research aims to assess the impact that Skill Pills have over longer-form methods of engagement.
Impact is assessed as:
- Retention of the key messages.
- Understanding of why these messages are important.
Research methodology.
In order to accurately assess the impact of Skill Pills versus a more traditional elearning approach, 50 participants were split into two groups: The Traditional Group and the Skill Pills Group. The participants were randomly assigned to each group.
A corporate video featuring a CEO discussing ethics was selected as the traditional content sample for this research. The aim of this video, taken from an elearning module, was to give employees a better understanding of the organisation’s ethics policy.
The Traditional Group viewed the CEO video, while the Skill Pills Group viewed the Skill Pill. The audio voiceover was the same for both videos, whereas the visual approach and style differed. The Skill Pills video featured an animated avatar of the CEO with the key messages represented in graphics or animation.
Research findings.
Content retention.
The questionnaire asked for specific answers to detailed questions to test the respondents’ content retention.
The Skill Pills Group answered 23% of these questions correctly, whereas the Traditional Group answered 13%. This represents a near doubling of content retention.
Content length.
Both the Skill Pill and the traditional video were approximately two minutes long. 76% of respondents in the Skill Pills Group felt that two minutes was long enough to sufficiently cover the topic. Meanwhile, only 57% in the Traditional Group thought two minutes was enough.
Respondents from the Skill Pills Group agreed that the timing of the video was appropriate, describing it as ‘quick’ and ‘straight to the point.’ On the other hand, some respondents from the Traditional Group commented that, although the video was only two minutes, ‘it felt longer’ and seemed to lack movement.
Production style and content retention.
63% of the Skill Pills Group agreed that the production style of the video (setting, narration, graphics, etc.) was ‘very good and held my attention,’ compared to only 9% from the Traditional Group.
Respondents from the Skill Pills Group stated that the graphics and animation held their attention and helped them understand the messages. In contrast, comments from the Traditional Group included ‘it is tiring to watch’ or ‘it is difficult to pay attention.’
Clarity of the ideas presented.
67% of the Skill Pills Group felt that the ideas presented in the video were clear and relevant, whereas only 24% in the Traditional Group agreed with this statement.
It can be concluded that the participants prefer the Skill Pills style to the traditional approach.
