How Microlearning Can Shrink The Skills Gap
Chloe Britton shared this guest blog post. She is the Brand Manager of training app Wranx – which provides continual training and assessment to help HR and learning and development professionals extend their training and communication strategies out of the classroom and office.
The skills gap between people and technology is growing all the time. But while the rapid advancement of technology will come as no surprise to most, the degree in which people are struggling to learn and apply new information is arguably more concerning.
This gap costs the US economy $1.3 trillion annually in lost productivity, which equates to $10 million per 1,000 employees. So, not only do businesses need to find new ways of teaching members of staff, they must also ensure employees are retaining and applying these training materials effectively.
Thankfully, there is an answer and it comes in the form of microlearning.
Identifying existing problems
With all of the distractions that modern day life provides, it is perhaps no surprise that our collective attention spans are dwindling. Although a study by Microsoft revealed that our ability to multitask in the information age has drastically improved, our attention spans have fallen to below that of a goldfish.
The study also found that those with more digital lifestyles (multiscreen media consumers, social network enthusiasts, and earlier adopters of technology), struggle to focus in environments where prolonged attention is required, such as the classroom.
But in spite of our increasing use of technology, the digital skills gap remains a big problem. Last year, the Talent Shortage Survey from the Manpower Group found that 35 per cent of 38,000 employers found it hard to fill jobs due to the lack of available talent. Technology plays a big role in this, as it often requires specific new skills that schools don’t teach, while simple textbook resources don’t provide enough stimulation.
Therefore, present day employees are in desperate need of additional education to address the digital skills gap, but won’t be overly receptive to traditional teaching due to the information age’s affect on our attention spans. So, is microlearning the answer?
What is Microlearning?
According to Hug & Friesen in Didactics of Microlearning, this term can be “generally characterized by low time commitment, small chunks, short effort and narrow topics – but is complex as a whole.”
But essentially, microlearning involves teaching a subject in small specific bursts. This means you can avoid the problems associated with short attention spans but also take advantage of constantly progressing technology.
In an age where we are constantly being fed masses of information, your workforce will no doubt welcome the clear and concise nature of microlearning, especially if they can access training materials anytime and from anywhere.
After all, platforms like TED X and Mind Gym have been cited as successful examples of microlearning, as audiences are consuming bite-sized content on a platform they are comfortable and familiar with. But what other benefits does this type of training afford?
The Benefits of Microlearning
- Increased engagement – In many respects, microlearning is just like social media. Your employees can pick up and put down training as and when they feel like it, but will still feel engaged with the stripped-down materials placed in front of them. On top of that, visual and interactive elements such as infographics and quizzes can combat boredom. Issues with mental burnout are also eliminated.
- Greater retention – It has been scientifically proven that we learn new items more effectively if spaced out over time in small, easy to consume chunks. Learning styles such as visual, auditory and kinesthetic/tactile can also be introduced through microlearning. In fact, microlearning can yield an average of 4-5 learned takeaways from a series.
- Better application – First of all, microlearning can fit around your workforce’s schedule and doesn’t need to interrupt with daily responsibilities. But secondly and perhaps most importantly, learned materials are applied more effectively in work situations because employees benefit from having control over their own destiny.
How to Implement Microlearning
Along with shrinking the skills gap by circumventing short attention spans through the use of technology, businesses can also cut costs and increase training value with microlearning. But how can it be implemented?
- Create a roadmap of knowledge. To start with, identify a few critical training topics and themes. Once your workforce has gained a broad overview of the training they will receive, you can move onto specifics for each individual job role. Create a roadmap of knowledge that you want your employees to learn about but remember this will be a long-term commitment.
- Identify suitable content mediums. Before creating teaching materials, identify the content mediums your workforce will be most receptive to. For example, sales staff might prefer the competitive element of game-ification, whereas customer service representatives could benefit more from interactive role-playing situations.
- Regularly test and optimize. In order to see whether microlearning is working, test your employees on a regular basis rather than at the end of training. If results aren’t favorable or employees have constructive criticism, adjust learning materials accordingly and optimize where appropriate.
