Improving the Recall of Factual Knowledge Based on Experiments Conducted by Herman Ebbinghaus

Abstract

Learning factual information is an activity that most individuals have engaged in during their schooling, at university, or in specific courses. It is commonly stated that one "absorbs" facts, with the intention of retaining the learned material over time. According to memory psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, a specific pattern must be followed to prevent the forgetting of learned material. Ebbinghaus, H. (1885) Uber das Gedächtnis zur Experimentellen Psychologie Verlag von Duncker & Humblot, Leipzig. The article outlines the approach necessary to maximize retention. When a considerable number of individuals adhere to Ebbinghaus's pattern, it results in a group whose memory of the learned material improves from a lower level to a significantly higher one. If this group comprises employees within an organization, it leads to what is known as a "knowledge gain" for the organization, thereby enhancing the overall quality of its collective knowledge. This pertains to the concept of organizational memory—the total knowledge residing within an organization. In the article by Walsh J.P. and Ungson G.R. (1991), titled "Organizational Memory," published in the Academy of Management Review, the authors highlight the critical importance of effectively managing and leveraging an organization's accumulated knowledge, thereby elevating the practice of knowledge management.