Sharing at Institute for Adult Learning, Adult Educators Network, Special Interest Group (instructional design) Sharing Session on 19 May 2015

1. Micro‐learning
forfor
Workplace Learningo p ace ea g
Institute for Adult Learning
Adult Education Network
Special Interest Group (Instructional Design)
Tang Buay ChooTang Buay Choo
buaytang@gmail.com

2. Micro learning (1)
WHY MICRO‐LEARNING?
Micro‐learning (1)
WHY MICRO LEARNING?
‐ TODAY’S CONNECTED WORKERS
‐ BENEFITS OF MICRO‐LEARNINGBENEFITS OF MICRO LEARNING

3. Today’s connected workers
• View at least on of the videos below
https://goo.gl/ukIWlp
Social Media Revolution 2015
https://goo.gl/RKkdzo
What Does the Workplace of the Future Look Like?
• Reflect on what you saw in the video(s)Reflect on what you saw in the video(s).
• Infer some typical behaviour, habits and/or characteristics of
the workers of today.
/• How would such typical behaviour, habits and/or characteristics
impact their preferred way of learning?
• Post your views at http://padlet.com/wall/pji22ihqincl

4. Today’s connected workers
Connected with
• Information
• People
• Tools
• Places

5. Today’s connected workers
Characteristics/habits/behaviour
• Multi‐tasking
• Short attention span
• Pressured to learn continually
• Prefer “pull”, not “push”
information

6. Today’s connected workers
Learning preferences:
• Just‐in‐time, Just enough
• Purposeful, action‐oriented
• Media‐rich/activity‐based
• Anytime, Anywhere, Any Way
• Bite‐size/micro

7. Why micro‐learning?
“Business”
Less disruptive to operations
Fast and scalable, Easy to create, manage and distribute
Can simultaneously cater to both new and veteran workersCan simultaneously cater to both new and veteran workers
Greater understanding, learning retention and transfer
More cost effective
“Learner”
M lik lih d t i f f f ll d ti f lMore likelihood to remain focus for full duration of lesson
Manageable cognitive load
Greater flexibility to select content to learn based on need, interest and prior
knowledgeknowledge
Learn anytime & anywhere, during “wait”/”down” time [Google’s “Testing on the
toilet” and “learning on the loo” ]
Allow On‐demand learningAllow On demand learning

8. Why micro‐learning?
“Learning principles ”
Cognitive Load Theory – Manage cognitive load in working memoryg y g g g y
Brain‐based Learning Research ‐ Brains are designed for fluctuations, not constant
attention.
“Honor the fact that learning can and must happen every day—notHonor the fact that learning can and must happen every day not
just when we have the time to attend a class or take an elearning program.”
(Elliot Maise, 2006)
“Trends”
Today’s Connected workers
Increasing ease of access to information that grows at exponential rate
Explosion of mobile devices and ubiquitous devices ownership
Di it l kill d d l l d b b l t fDigital skills need upgrades regularly, and becomes obsolete every few
years:[Deloitte recently estimated digital skills have a half‐life of just 2.5
years for any given role]
Growing pervasiveness of Personal Learning Networks

9. Research on micro‐learning?
“The study has established that micro learning which is based on micro“The study has established that micro learning which is based on micro
content of learning and delivery materials, systems and applications etc
positively transforms knowledge. Micro learning is highly useful and could
be applied for securing knowledge and skill growth in diverse subjects such pp f g g g j
as the healthcare, engineering, aerospace, production, services, safety, and
defense etc.”
Micro Learning As Innovative Process of Knowledge Strategy
Dr Minimol Anil Job Dr Habil Slade OgaloDr. Minimol Anil Job, Dr. Habil Slade Ogalo
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC & TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH VOLUME 1, ISSUE 11, DECEMBER 2012.
http://www.ijstr.org/final‐print/dec2012/Micro‐Learning‐As‐Innovative‐Process‐Of‐Knowledge‐Strategy.pdf
“Overall, the concurrent and successive small bites groups performed
significantly better than the successive large bites groups on remembering
the explanation in words (retention), generating solutions to transfer
bl ( f ) d l i b l l b l f l i liproblems (transfer), and selecting verbal labels for elements in a line
drawing (matching), but they did not differ significantly from each other.”
Maximizing constructivist learning from multimedia communications by minimizing cognitive load.
Mayer, Richard E.; Moreno, Roxana; Boire, Michelle; Vagge, Shannon. y , ; , ; , ; gg ,
Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 91(4), Dec 1999, 638‐643

10. Research on micro‐learning?
“The evidence shows that this organic approach is working ‐
staff and students are starting to use many of the tools that
Bite Size has covered ”Bite Size has covered.”
Learn something new in 20 minutes: Bite Size sessions to support research and teaching.
Tattersall A1, Beecroft C, Freeman J.
Health Information and Libraries Journal 2013 Sep;30(3):253‐8Health Information and Libraries Journal. 2013 Sep;30(3):253 8.
“In 2002 the BBC compared a bite size approach with longerIn 2002, the BBC compared a bite‐size approach with longer
training and found that bite‐size resulted in greater
understanding, application and retention than a day‐long
i l t F th h l l ti t th i fequivalent. Further, when calculating costs, the savings of a
bite‐size approach can be up to 30 percent”
The Best and Worst of Bite‐Size Learning. S. Bailey.
July 15 2013 http //www clomedia com/articles/the best and worst of bite sizeJuly 15, 2013. http://www.clomedia.com/articles/the‐best‐and‐worst‐of‐bite‐size‐
learning

11. Mi l i (2)
WHAT IS MICRO‐LEARNING?
Micro‐learning (2)
WHAT IS MICRO LEARNING?

12. Other names & types
• Nano‐learning (Elliot Masie, 2006)a o ea g ( ot as e, 006)
• Bite‐sized learning
• Subscription Learning (Thalheimer, 2013)

13. What is micro‐learning?
"Microlearning deals with relatively small learning units and
h l i i i i "short‐term learning activities"
(Amit Garg, 2009)
"Sharing byte‐sized processes to help others learn from their
experiences"
(Stephen Downes, 2009) ”
“Supports repetitive learning through embedding the learning
process into daily routines by making use of communication
devices”
( h b k )(Theo Hug, Innsbruck, 2005)

14. Characteristics & Forms of Micro‐learning
• Read at least 2 of the following articles
http://goo gl/fNQjCFhttp://goo.gl/fNQjCF
From Courses to Micro‐Learning
http://goo.gl/dWCE69
Is Microlearning The Solution You Need?
http://goo.gl/1jxUri
Life Long Learning And Web 2 0:Life Long Learning And Web 2.0:
Microlearning And Self Directed Learning
• Discuss within your group. List down
– Some characteristics of micro‐learning
– Some forms of microlearning

15. Mi l i (3)
WHEN TO USE MICRO‐LEARNING?
Micro‐learning (3)
WHEN TO USE MICRO LEARNING?

16. Micro‐learning at workplace
• Performance support / Job aid
Some possible uses
Performance support / Job aid
• Review /revision for tasks e.g. those that are
performed only once in a whileperformed only once in a while
• Deliver updates (e.g. price changes, new product
features, or anything that requires regular updates)features, or anything that requires regular updates)
• Complement formal learning (e.g. Blended learning)
• Paced competence/knowledge acquisition – breaking aPaced competence/knowledge acquisition breaking a
large competence / knowledge into smaller chunks

17. Micro‐learning at workplace
Study the case. Identify an area where micro‐learning can be
d t dadopted.
• What is the nature of use? (e.g. as performance support?)
• What is the focus/content of the micro‐learning?What is the focus/content of the micro learning?
• Which group of staff is the target audience?
• What is the work context for which the staff will “demand”
this learning?
• How long will the learning take? What many “units will
there be?there be?
• What will be the form(s) of the micro‐learning? What is the
reason for selecting this form?
• How would you make the learning easily accessible ?

18. Mi l i (4)
DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR MICRO‐
Micro‐learning (4)
DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR MICRO
LEARNING

19. How to make micro‐ learning work?
Think:
What size is right?
• May range from 15 min to 3 or 4 hours
Size
y g
C l Si l
Increasing size
Mass customisation
Content Complex Simple
High explicit Little explicit
Authentic Learning
L i f
Context
g p
support from
management
p
support from
management
Learning Transfer
L ’ N d
Control
Limited ability
to ensure
trainees not
Greater ability
to ensure
trainees not
Learners’ Needs “disturbed” by
work demands
“disturbed” by
work demands

20. How to make micro‐learning work?
How to cater to different levels of prior
learning/experience ?Think: learning/experience ?
• Provide flexibility to learners in
selecting/skipping learning chunksSize
• Where possible and desirable, situate
learning in different contexts for different
learner groups
Mass customisation
g p
Authentic Learning
L i fLearning Transfer
L ’ N dLearners’ Needs

21. How to make micro‐learning work?
How to help learner see the relevance?
Think:
• Frame learning using real world or
workplace
• task,
Size
task,
• problem, or
• Scenario
Mass customisation
Scenario
• Encourage active participation and
reflection to help learners relate learning to
k
Authentic Learning
L i f work
Learning Transfer
L ’ N dLearners’ Needs

22. How to make micro‐learning work?
How to facilitate transfer of learning to
work?Think: work?
• Provide scaffolds that learner can use at
work, e.g. job aidsSize
• Include Work‐based Assignments
• Build‐in peer support that can be extended
t th k l C iti f
Mass customisation
to the workplace e.g. Communities of
Practice(CoPs)/Special Interest Groups(SIGs)
• Ensure availability of coaching/mentoring eg
Authentic Learning
L i f
y g/ g g
by trainer, supervisor, more experienced co‐
worker, or through CoPs/SIGs
Learning Transfer
L ’ N dLearners’ Needs

23. How to make micro‐learning work?
How to cater to unarticulated, “just‐in‐
time” learning needs?Think: time learning needs?
• Surface unarticulated and provide “Just‐in‐
time” learning through CoPs/SIGsSize
Mass customisation
Authentic Learning
L i fLearning Transfer
L ’ N dLearners’ Needs

24. Reflection
Today’s session as micro‐learning
Wh t th d i d t f th 4 i• What was the desired outcome of the 4 micro‐
learning units? How does each unit build on
one another to achieve this outcome?
• Can the design cater to different learners’ g
needs? How?
• What adaptation would you made to the formWhat adaptation would you made to the form
of each micro‐learning if they are to be done
f ll li ?fully online?
• How would you make the learning easily
accessible ?