Microlearning

MICROLEARNING

In our work, the need to learn new elements is more continual than in most industries.

• Our ability to learn is the key factor to surviving as an organization  

That being the case, we have developed methodologies for learning for our staff that shorten the time needed to learn.

This article is about one of those methodologies - microlearning.

And yes, we realize this is a new name on a learning technique that has been use for thousands of years.  However, wonder, for yourself, if you are using this practice for yourself as often as you could.

Microlearning, in is most simple form, is about taking in new information is smaller segments and "resting" between chunks to allow your brain to do the processing necessary for storing the information in a manner that allows for more ready recall in the future.

Let's look at an example.

One of our new associates came to us with typical information technology skills.  She was proficient in using word processing applications and messaging tools.  She had some skill using spread sheet, presentation, and graphics tools.  

However, her responsibilities included loading and testing software applications.  This work required the need to:

• Understand hardware to be able to troubleshoot failures
• Be able to fix problems related to Windows operating system software
• Know how to use software for imaging computers

If you have experience with computers and software, you know these skills require a significant amount of knowledge.  And we only had a few quarters to help her develop these foundation skills.

So, we used microlearning to speed up the process.

The first step was to get a grounding in hardware and operating systems.  We used the CompTIA A+ training for this.  Most every day, our associate (we'll call her Beth because that is her name) would self study for 15 - 30 minute increments.  She used elearning and books (e.g. CompTIA A+ Exam Guide) to study.  

Once she felt she had a good level of knowledge from self study, we paired her with a subject expert to work in a classroom environment.  Because we are in the training business, we have an option available to us that is not as readily available to others - having one of our experts train her in 1 - 2 hour sessions over a period of time.

The result was that Beth was able to develop the proficiency needed to fully take over the tasks of preparing software and hardware within a few months.  We predict that this process would normally take over a year.

This method works well for us.  We continue to use it for our staff.  Of late, we have added these microlearning methods to our mix: 

• short how to videos
• blogs
• how to manuals
• reading on mobile devices while on the go

I hope our experiences motivate you to integrate microlearning into your learning processes so as to improve the speed at which you intake and recall information. 

That's it for now.  I hope there is some take home pay for you from the 3-5 minutes you spent reading this article.

Robert     

A Missing Element in Your Training ?

Due to my schedule, most of the learning I do is self study - sometimes even while waiting for a traffic light to turn green or while going to the....no, I did not just start to write that.

Being an introvert who is pressed for time, self study works well for me - much of the time.  I can study before anyone in my family wakes up, during lunch (an excuse not to go out and socialize with others at lunch), and after our child's bedtime.  And I can do it alone. Aah, blessed alone time.

In the process of becoming certified by Google to teach others how to improve their work skills through using Google software applications (e.g. docs, sites, forms, etc.), I have been using self study methods (reading student manuals, watching online videos, and practicing executing commands and actions on the software).

However, self study lacks one element that keeps me from progressing faster.  That element is intensity. 

For example, when I realized my ineptness at communicating in front of groups (in seeing a video of a speech I gave), I knew that no amount of self study would make me a better speaker.  It was to the Abe Lincoln method I went (you remember - wear the stump down).  I knew of no better place to wear down a stump by speaking than Toastmasters.  Over the past two years, my weekly participation in Toastmasters training has been a good environment in which to get practice and develop skill faster.  And to the point of the story I go - intense training, like Toastmasters, is the best way I know how to develop skill faster - in most instances.

Admit it, you know this from your own experience.  You remember the teacher, coach, or parent you hated (at the time) from whom you learned the most because they pushed you hard. 

So, back to Toastmasters.  Being thin skinned and self conscious, I don't do well when others evaluate me.  You see, I have this insane desire to be perfect (whatever perfect is).  And when someone points out my shortcomings, I give a fake smile - you know the one trying to cover up the fact that I am boiling inside ("who are you to tell me...") - as if they buy the fake smile.  So, I grin and bear it.

As much as I don't like the discomfort of being constantly evaluated each week, it is the intensity of the training that helps me make faster progress.

Lest you ever see me speak, I have learned that I am a man of few words (read: introvert) who likes to think about a situation before speaking.  I am not a person who likes to figure out a situation by talking about it.  I can figure it out by my own thinking, thank you very much.  This lack of verbosity assures that I won't be replacing Joel Osteen any time soon.  

That being said, I have won a few contests, improved my clarity, gained a higher level of comfort in speaking in front of groups, and added some humor to my talks (what little humor I can muster).  And this is due to the intensity of the training.

So here's your tip for the month from Uncle Bob - you are not going to learn to swim, cook a hamburger, make love, or know how to catch a fish by self study.  You learn about how others do it, but you will not know how to do it.  On top of that, the environment needs to be intense to produce faster results.

To eat my own dog food, I will be teaching practice online Google classes and getting evaluated.  Did I say how much I look forward to being evaluated by others on my teaching abilities. 

Go forward and do likewise.