The trend is clear. Increasingly more learning programs are occurring in small chunks. The good news is that neuroscience research is starting to show that learning in smaller, modular chunks can have benefits for making learning last. 

In their recent article in the January 2014 issue of T+D, “Keep an Eye on the Time,” authors Josh Davis, Maite J. Balda, and David Rock detail two findings about attention that are most helpful for creating small chunks of learning. First, attention has limits of only about 20 minutes before needing a refresher. Second, multitasking is the enemy of learning. 

Here’s the gist from the research: “To get the most out of learning sessions, start by paying attention to attention. Change focus every 20 minutes or so, either in content or context. Remove multitasking wherever you find it. Educating learners about the importance of a single focus so that their brains know to encode new information can go a long way.”

ASTD Members can read the complete article at www.astd.org/Publications/Magazines/TD/TD-Archive/2014/01/Keep-An-Eye-on-the-Time.