@article{sigethy2024learning, title = {Learning in the wild - exploring interactive notifications to foster organic retention of everyday media content}, author = {Sophia Sigethy and Sven Mayer and Christina Schneegass}, year = {2024}, journal = {Behaviour \& Information Technology}, publisher = {Taylor \& Francis}, pages = {1-21}, doi = {10.1080/0144929X.2024.2366985}, date = {2024-01-01}, abstract = {The amount of information we consume daily through smartphones has prompted the development of Personal Knowledge Management Systems (PKMS). However, these external memory aids can lead to overreliance and do not help to keep information in our organic memory. This paper presents the design and evaluation of MemoryMate, an app that fosters recall of saved content through interactive notifications. The app's design is based on insights from a focus group (N=7) that inquired about people's expectations and preferences regarding the notification design. The results of a three-week in-the-wild study (N=23) of MemoryMate suggest that notifications could trigger engagement with saved content, and two-thirds of participants felt notifications improved their memory and retention. Retrieval practice notifications with interactive tasks performed well and received positive feedback. Content priority and time since the last interaction influenced notification engagement, emphasising the need for periodic reminders to maintain user interest in saved content. We discuss potential implications for the design of PKMSs as a tool for lifelong learning.}, keywords = {interactive notifications, personal knowledge management, memory retention, smartphone usage, user engagement, retrieval practice, content recall, lifelong learning, MemoryMate app, user study} }