The Future of Training? Think Small

Bigger isn’t always better—and as it turns out, the same can besaid of training.

When you look at how most organizations are training theiremployees, you see great big formal initiatives complete with instructors,manuals, presentations, and hours-long sessions.

Part of the attraction of large formal training programs is thatthey’ve got a certain “thud” factor. They feel tangible andimpressive. Organizations can point to their big stacks of resources and longschedules of upcoming sessions and say, “Here is our training program. Look how extensive it is! See how muchwe’re doing?”

And they’re not wrong—they’re doing a lot of things. It’s just that thosethings are outdated, cumbersome, and inefficient—and research is proving it.

What does the research say?

As far back as the 1970’s,Johnstone and Percival reported that theaverage student had only 10 to 18 minutes of optimal focus before their abilityto learn started ebbing—in other words, learners were tuning out early. (SeeReferences at the end of this article.)

That idea was confirmed again in 1985 by Burns, when researchersfound (much to their surprise) that students had much better recall of whatthey learned before the 15-minute mark of a class, after which point most hadalready zoned out. (See References.)

But here’s the kicker: All that time and energy buildinglengthy sessions is having far less of an impact than most think. Digenti and Cross both concluded that workshopand classroom-based learning is failing businesses because it covers only about10 to 20 percent of what someone actually needs to know to do their job. (SeeReferences.)

Those hours-long training sessions aren’tadding more actionable information—they’re just eating up time and budget whilegiving learners more than they can actually digest.

It’s a clunky process: An instructor must prepare all of thematerial, book a room, take time out of their day, deliver the material, andgrade the work done by attendees to assess whether or not they’ve retained whatthey needed to.

In reality, learning is actuallyhappening all the time, and most of it happens away from the classroom.

As Digenti and Cross confirmed, we learn most of what we need toknow from short and fast informal situations: exchanges with peers, spur of themoment research, active observation, or even trial and error. It’s unplanned,unofficial, and ad hoc.

This learning is overlooked and discounted because there’s a lotless “thud” factor. There’s no sense of corporate control or investment, sobusinesses fail to account for its importance.

The problems become obvious: Conventional training programsactually become roadblocks to learning while the most effective learningmoments are discounted.

That’s where micro-learning comes in

Micro-learning harnesses all of that informal learning and giveit structure without succumbing to the failures of formal training sessions. The goal, according to de Vries and Brall, isto try to make this informal learning “more visible, extendable, reusable, andup to date” while offering “minimal disturbance to the daily work schedule.” (See References.)

What is micro-learning?

Essentially, micro-learning revolves around the creation ofhighly accessible and bite-sized (10 to 15 minutes or less) training modulesthat can be accessed from anywhere and are highly focused on individualconcepts. Every micro-learningsession aims to get the learner to reflect on what they’ve learned as itapplies to what they’re doing. Not only does this format better reflect the way that we learn,but it comes with other advantages.

The learner is in charge

Conventional training attempts to educate a whole lot oflearners all at once, but doing so treats them as though they are all the same.The unique background, education, and understanding of the learner is skippedover to the detriment of the training.

Micro-learning empowers the learner to consume the informationthey need, when they need it. They can learn at their own pace, access theinformation that’s most pertinent, and brush up on the skills they feel they’relacking, all without having to consult someone else or wait for a session to comeavailable.

Micro-learning is fast and easy to create

Micro-learning thrives on the fact that small modules can becreated quickly and easily. Technology has helped to streamline the creationprocess and keep it quick—and with the web as a collaborative medium, there’salso the ability to democratize the process and give everyone the ability tocreate training that meets organizational quality standards. It’s informationsharing at its fastest and most efficient.

Micro-learning is available on demand

For micro-learning to sidestep the troubles with conventionallearning, it needs to be available anytime, anywhere. Bite-sized training isperfectly suited for just-in-time learning, where employees can quickly andeasily brush up on the topics they need to know whether out in the field orbehind their desks. There’s no longer aneed for an instructor or a classroom; learning can happen everywhere.

Micro-learning is agile

When sessions are small and information is compact, keepingthings current becomes far easier. Coupled with the ability to quickly andeasily create new training, micro-learning doesn’t suffer the red tape andcomplicated processes involved in overhauling a more substantial trainingprogram.

When new training is needed, it can be created quickly, reviewed,and disseminated to everyone who might need it—whether it’s an immediatebulletin or just a reference for the future.

Micro-learning is low cost, high impact

While there will inevitably be a period of ramping up, creatingthe training and facilitating change-over when an organization embracesmicro-learning, the long-term cost of training is drastically reduced withmicro-learning.

The format eliminates the need for finite and expensiveresources like instructors, physical training spaces, and hours spent in theclassroom while making it far easier to keep information current. Your trainingprogram becomes more of a “living” thing, able to move quickly, adapt tochanges, and address real problems in the moment they arise so that workers canstay productive.

Great things come in small packages

Whether it’s the value-for-dollar investment, level ofretention, timeliness for the need of the learner, or streamlined managementprocess, micro-learning is quickly emerging as the smartest means of givingyour team the information they need to do their jobs. Less really is more!

References

Burns,R. “Information Impact and Factors Affecting Recall.” 1985. Found online 15 December2014 at eric.ed.gov/?id=ED258639.

Cross,J. Informal Learning: Rediscovering theNatural Pathways that Inspire Innovation and Performance. SanFrancisco: Pfeiffer, 2007, 

de Vries, P. and S. Brall. “Microtrainingas a Support Mechanism for Informal Learning.” eLearning Papers, November 2008 www.elearningpapers.eu. Found online 15 December 2014 at https://www.oei.es/tic/media17532.pdf.

Digenti,D. Make space for Informal Learning.ASTD Learning Circuits, December 2000.