Tackling high-volume learning at Dartmouth College
Selecting the right learning platform comes down to three critical factors: its ability to effectively reinforce knowledge, provide an enjoyable user experience, and minimize the team’s time commitment so busy professionals can get back to their jobs as quickly as possible. While we’ve previously explored how Blank Slate excels in all three areas (you can read a synthesis here), this post addresses a gap in our coverage of that third pillar: time.
For many professionals, maintaining vast expertise is essential and the idea of a platform that boasts brief interactions and a low time commitment may seem unrealistic. We get it. Our platform supports fighter pilots, medical professionals, and others whose knowledge bases encompass thousands of critical items.
Though we do boast a light-touch approach, Blank Slate is designed to handle even the most demanding learning requirements — whether that means reviewing a large knowledge bank, mastering new material on a tight timeline, or both. Here’s a little background on why it’s so important to keep learning platforms time-efficient, and how Blank Slate strikes the balance between reinforcing substantial knowledge and minimizing users’ time.
The Cognitive Science of Time
As the length of a learning session increases, the more people’s attention and focus tend to decrease. This phenomenon, which is at the root of cognitive load theory, explains how our brains become less efficient as they process information over time. Fatigue and distraction set in, and the likelihood of retaining what we’ve learned drops. For this reason, training sessions that run long can often feel like a waste of time — not only for learners but for the organization investing in their development.
A Light-Touch Approach
Blank Slate was intentionally designed to be “light touch” by emphasizing short, engaging sessions that fit seamlessly into users’ busy lives. By keeping cognitive load low, we maximize focus and retention without taking up hours of valuable time.
However, we know that light touch isn’t always an option. Some clients need their teams to tackle substantial material in a short period of time. What happens when users engage with Blank Slate for more intensive sessions?
Tacking Volumes of Information
Even in high-volume sessions, Blank Slate holds up under pressure. We’ll illustrate with data from one of our ongoing research partnerships with Dartmouth medical students who use the platform to answer a minimum of 80 (!!) questions per day (!!).
Despite the volume, and the fact that they sometimes complete these sessions at 2:00 in the morning, we’ve observed no signs of cognitive overload. If fatigue was setting in during these sessions, you’d expect their accuracy to decrease and their question response times to increase as each session progresses. As you’ll see in the graph below, instead, these students demonstrate consistent accuracy and response times as they complete their 80 questions. Plus, these sessions range from just 8 to 28 minutes in total, a fraction of the time required by traditional learning approaches that require readings and watching videos.
This efficiency isn’t just a testament to Blank Slate’s design but a reflection of how thoughtfully-chosen platforms can meet learners where they are — whether they need to dedicate 5 minutes or 50 to their training each day.
The Takeaway
Maintaining extensive expertise isn’t always a light-touch endeavor. Many professions require rigorous information review alongside regular job responsibilities. Blank Slate is designed to meet these demands — both large and small — while ensuring organizations achieve lasting knowledge retention, engaging learning experiences, and a minimized time commitment.
Amy Smith, PhD
Chief Scientific Officer, Blank Slate Technologies
