Microlearning is a hot topic across the L&D space – an all-encompassing term meant to convey the absorption of complex concepts through a concise mode of delivery. While we tend to think of microlearning as being mostly confined and valued by the rungs of corporate culture or the halls of academia, it truly is an ever-present notion that exists in all aspects of our lives. And when executed effectively, it can have tremendous impacts on the spaces where we work, learn, play, and…sleep. I’d even argue that microlearning is at play in the anecdotes we pass down from generation to generation…take parenting advice, for example.
For many of us, the early days of parenting are often viewed through rose-colored lenses. The years have softened the memory of our sleepless struggles as we tried desperately to decipher each cry. New parents eagerly listen as the well-seasoned parental veterans share what worked for them, hoping the same tips and tricks will work for us. And soon they do…those long evenings become ever punctuated by flashes of success in the battle for sleep.
We go on to celebrate the skills we’ve learned and proudly display our metaphorical badges as we graduate from the new parent category, the circles disappearing from beneath our eyes every time we pass on our hard-earned knowledge to others.
These tailored tales reinforce years of important knowledge for other weary parents to follow and grow from and the cycle continues. This method of knowledge transfer not only helps us handle new or difficult situations but creates a sense of community and ensures generations to come will be offered the same sage advice.
How we craft these learning narratives can transform the way we live and work. What is the most important information our teams need to do their jobs, why do they need it and how will they then use it in their day to day?
Qstream’s microlearning and knowledge reinforcement solution uses these same principles but takes it one step further. Our scientifically proven methodology employs the testing effect to prime the brain to learn new information and then delivers that information again at key intervals of time when it’s likely to be forgotten. We call this spaced repetition and it’s helped our customers see up to a 170% increase in knowledge retention.
Having the right knowledge at the right time is critical in high-risk industries like healthcare. Qstream’s simple yet powerful form of learning helped one healthcare organization see a 40% improvement in adherence to cancer screening guidelines and another reduce falls in patients with multiple sclerosis by 37.66%.
Upskilling is another microlearning principle at play in parenthood. As my kids grow, I will continue to sharpen my parenting toolkit – learning and implementing the best practices for raising them at every stage of their lives. Just like parenting, organizations must ensure their workers’ are constantly expanding their body of knowledge. Not only is this critical for their professional development, but to keep them privy to the latest best practices in their lines of work.
While those sleep tips might have seemed insignificant in the moment, repeated and sharpened over time, they’ve managed to help generations of first-time parents and I will do my part to ensure they continue to do so. Microlearning can have the same impact in the workplace – developing smarter employees in just a few minutes a day and giving them the tools to help drive business success.
