--- title: "7 ways to learn: Learning through retrieval practice" description: Explore blended learning as a powerful approach that combines online and in-person experiences, enhancing understanding and engagement in the workplace. image: https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/post%204%20header.jpg --- × ![Newsletter](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/newsletter.png) ## Sign up to our newsletter [![Desq logo](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/logo-white.svg "Desq logo")](https://desq.co.uk/) [![Desq logo](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/logo-col.svg "Desq logo")](https://desq.co.uk/) - [What we offer](https://desq.co.uk/what-we-offer) - [What we do](https://desq.co.uk/what-we-do) - [About us](https://desq.co.uk/about-us) - [Work](https://desq.co.uk/work) - [News](https://desq.co.uk/news) - [Contact](https://desq.co.uk/contact) # 7 ways to learn online For Learning at Work Week 2026, we're exploring seven ways digital learning can go beyond the traditional course. Each day this week, we'll share a different approach. Today we’re learning through retrieval practice. Learn More ![7waystolearn](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/7waystolearn.jpg) # 7 ways to learn: Learning through retrieval practice [Laura Giles](https://desq.co.uk/news/author/laura-giles) May 24, 2026 ![post 7 header](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/post%207%20header.jpg?width=960&height=389&name=post%207%20header.jpg) ## **Many ways to learn No.7:  **Learning through retrieval practice.   Retrieval practice means regularly pulling information back out of memory — through quizzes, questions, or challenges — rather than simply re-exposing learners to content. This might sound like testing, but it's not about measurement, it's about the act of retrieval itself, The effort of trying to remember something — even imperfectly — changes how well it's stored. Short, frequent, low-stakes retrieval beats long, infrequent, high-stakes training almost every time. ## ![Asset 4](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/Asset%204.png?width=239&height=97&name=Asset%204.png) Psychologists Henry Roediger and Jeffrey Karpicke demonstrated what they called the testing effect — that retrieving information from memory produces significantly better long-term retention than repeated study of the same material. Their research showed that being tested on content, rather than simply revisiting it, dramatically improves how well that knowledge holds up over time. Roediger, H. L., & Karpicke, J. D. (2006). The power of testing memory. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 1(3), 181–210.   ## **Project profile:  **Goodyear — Product Knowledge Platform      Goodyear's wholesale and retail sales teams need to know their products in depth — specifications, applications, competitive advantages — and they need that knowledge to be reliable under the pressure of a real sales conversation. A one-off training course wasn't going to cut it. ![good year](https://desq.co.uk/hs-fs/hubfs/good%20year.webp?width=900&height=518&name=good%20year.webp) We built a mobile-first learning platform designed around the principles of retrieval practice. Bite-sized product knowledge content was paired with interactive quizzes that brought learners back repeatedly — reinforcing what they knew and surfacing what needed more work. Rewards and leaderboards added a competitive edge that drove engagement, turning knowledge-building into something teams actually wanted to participate in. The result was a sales force with sharper, more durable product knowledge — and the commercial results to match.      ![](https://desq.co.uk/hubfs/newsletter.png) Sign up to our newsletter **Like to hear more bite-sized L&D news and views from Desq?** Subscribe to our quarterly newsletter – **Story Board**. 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