By: William Ryan
When you search “microlearning” you will find many different definitions. eLearning Industry says it could be “could either be small learning units or short-term learning activities.” While Shannon Tipton has said microlearning is: Short bursts of focused “right-sized” content to help people achieve a specific outcome. I learn towards Ray Jimenez’s emphasis on work results and focusing on how to help workers fix, solve and improve work issues. I look at microlearning as a way to support people at the time and place of need, to help them kNOW.
Microlearning brings to mind short videos and small eLearning modules but we need to understand that we are supporting performance so let’s focus on issues and barriers people are facing. Review internal audit reports, look at the operational performance metrics, and go ask the people doing the work where they find barriers to productivity. Then provide that solution in whatever delivery channel that works best such as mobile, augmented reality, or even a taped-up job aid!
Microlearning is about putting solutions in the flow of work, it is a strategic application of learning as a business tool that seamlessly integrates training content, performance support, coaching and community connections (the knowledge experts who can help the person find the needed solution, apply it and be able to retrieve it the next time the task or process is being done.
So microlearning is about putting actionable learning in the workflow and we need to be in the middle of this because the people doing the work will go find their own answers and that doesn’t mean they are going to stop work and sign up for a class. When a problem si now, people will search on their own so let’s be the champion of their success by helping them learn to learn without knowing they are learning! Microlearning can provide the solution kNOW!
Join our upcoming HRDQ-U webinar titled “Microlearning: Learning in the Flow of Work” on August 12, 2020 at 2pm ET/11am PT.
