Microlearning is an alternative to classroom training and the dissemination of vast amounts of content. Wouldn’t a learner rather consume something at their own pace, on their own time frame rather than through a half-day (or longer) class? Wouldn’t these same learners like learning to be small and compact yet deliver the message just in time and have it be exactly what is needed?
I recently worked for an organization that performed claims processing. It was important to process the claim correctly and there was a lot of money at stake to do so correctly. The method of training a new claims processor was a 16 week, 6 hour a day instructor-led class which everyone but the trainers seemed to hate.
Leadership hated the class because it took their employees away from their desks for too much time. Employees hated it because there was too much information to remember and they were anxious to get to work to do the job for which they were hired. This was a typical information overload class that covered everything from A to Z with the trainer as the purveyor of information both great and small. The trainers would tell you that this was the way that they learned how to process claims. Many of the trainers were subject matter experts before becoming trainers. They learned their job by watching other trainers do an information dump and therefore determined that was the correct way to do it. I dare say that this scenario still plays out with all too much regularity across corporate America.
Microlearning means splitting the learning process up into mostly smaller parts that can be consumed independently of each other. But it doesn’t stop there. Microlearning at its most effective also combines concepts like action mapping, learner expectations, business realities and more. Microlearning is a really a multilayered idea.
Let’s look at these other parts. Action mapping means finding out what is necessary for the learner’s success on the job then designing meaningful exercises as the students’ first step in obtaining a new skill. Some trainers view this as crazy talk. How can you ask a student to do something when you haven’t even taught them how to do it? One of the things that a claims processor must do is search for a claim using something called a “provider number.” Action mapping would say, “give the students a provider number and ask them to figure it out.” Chances are they would click Search, then type the provider number into the field called provider number then click Search. If the student is really without a clue then the instructor can provide a job aid and ask the student to follow the steps detailed there. To understand Action Mapping think 1) performance (actions) necessary for success 2) relevant exercise 3) supplemental information if necessary. Revolutionary but it makes so much sense. People learn by doing.
Learner expectations should be understood. Today’s employee is busier than ever. Many will tell you that they need and want training then later tell you they have no time to attend training. They want training that can be done when they have the time slot to do it and it should match exactly what the job calls for in order for them to be successful. Today’s learners expect what they learn to relate directly to their job or it could be considered a waste of time.
Business realities are tight budgets and the need for employees to take charge of their own learning. Businesses find it increasingly difficult to discover all the training necessary for advancement of a new product or program. They need smart employees to know what they must learn in order to meet the business goal. Employees have to know that the shelf life of their skillset is three to five years. Employees must continue learning and growing to keep from being off-shored and continue to provide real value to the business. The days of saying, “Well, if my employer wants me to do it then he’ll have to send me to class” are over.
Surprisingly, trainers did not complain about this 16-week class but they did complain that after one of their lengthy classes, the business unit would inevitably hire someone and they would have to teach the entire class again, this time for one person.
Learning professionals have to know that old models of training no longer work. The “say and spray” method of teaching where the trainers ladles out loads of content just won’t stand up to business needs and realities. The trainers and instructional designers must become “learning experience” providers. They must ask the question, “is this best taught or experienced?”
With all this in mind let’s go back to Microlearning. There are actually three ways to search for a provider claim. Microlearning asks us as learning professionals to ask, “is mastering the search function” necessary for the employee’s success back on the job. If the answer is yes, then the learning experience creator might ask, “can this be broken down into manageable chunks?” Instead of teaching “Searching for a Claim” as part of a bigger class, why not break it down into smaller discreet modules? Each one of these modules could be its own separate entity.
- Searching by provider number.
- Searching by patient id
- Searching by firstname/lastname
Now that I have three separate learning chunks in mind I can determine the best way to have the student experience each of these processes. I could do any of these as a learning experience:
- Design a step by step tutorial for each of the students to follow for each of these searches and assign them to the students. Instead of teaching them the steps of searching by provider number, show them how to follow a job aid.
- Give the students a provider number and ask them to try it themselves and report back what they find.
- Take turns putting a student on the spot and with the support of their classmates figure out how to perform a particular search.
See the difference? The student is immediately doing something and it matches what they must perform back on the job. It also frees up class time which makes leaders and students happy. Trainers are happy too because they are learning new training modalities and experience shorter classes and increased retention.
As an instructor, I might not even have to be in a classroom environment for this. I could convene class, make the assignments, then agree to see the students tomorrow. Since my topics are now chunked I could also quite easily make short, one topic videos for them. Now when a straggler comes on the stage I can refer him/her to the videos as well as the training practice exercises that I mentioned earlier.
If I make small, single topic videos for each of the necessary “success behaviors,” then I have a ready video library that can be combined to meet the need for future classes, student questions, refresher courses and more.
This is what micro learning means to me.
