Bring Back The Word “Sticky”

I was telling a friend about the various projects and solutions I work on. When I brought up online learning and performance management, I used the word “sticky”.

“Wow, now that is a word I haven’t heard since the early days of the Web,” my friend exclaimed.

I knew what he was referring to. Sticky was a word used to describe a Web site’s combination of architecture, UI, and content. If a site was sticky it kept the attention of visitors and kept them on the site and coming back often. In essence a site retained it’s audience.

Today, I use the word sticky in regard to learning. Learning is sticky when:

1. It is fun and enjoyable.
2. It captures imagination and stirs creativity.
3. It engages the learner through interaction and team work.
4. It excites and drives the learner to know more.
5. It encourages the learner to apply “fun approaches” to work and more.
6. It creates a positive and practical experience.
7. It increases mental flexibility and agility.
8. It is a fresh and new approach to common learning methods.
   

Ultimately, when a person retains and applies what they learn, then the learning content is sticky. If you are in the business of teaching, training, and development don’t be satisfied with only spreading information. Look for creative, out of the box, and fun ways to make learning…well, sticky.