To create impactful microlearning lessons, knowledge of learning theories helps!
Remote working, digital connectivity, and smartphones have made life easier. Using them, learning can happen on the go! Simply watching videos, speaking to colleagues, or accessing more content is not enough.
The concept of Connectivism helps us understand that learners should be able to find, connect with, evaluate and use knowledge effectively.
Besides the content of a microlearning lesson, a learner’s performance depends on the lesson remaining accessible and useful after training.
At a Glance
- Connectivism looks at learning as a process of making connections between people, ideas/information, and digital sources.
- Today, learning can happen outside the classroom and formal set-ups.
- Microlearning may be short, but learning moments can’t afford to be disconnected or fragmented.
- Learners should be able to see the connection between different concepts/lessons. They also must know where to find relevant, current information in the hour of need.
- Connectivism helps trainers develop a well-rounded, holistic perspective even while creating microlearning lessons.
- The Connectivist thinking helps trainers create learning moments that are connected, accessible, collabrative and always available to a learner.
Microlearning lessons can deliver learning momments. However, Connectivism can help trainers see the bigger picture. It guides them to consider whether learners have what they need for ongoing learning: access to information, resources and people.
This way of thinking can be useful when creating a microlearning map.
While training we often ask ourselves: ‘What should my learner learn?’
Connectivism gives us food for thought when designing any microlearning initiative. After all, learning does not end with a few microlearning lessons.
Trainers need to think about what information, resources or people a learner requires for ongoing learning. This can support better performance at work.
This can turn microlearning into an ongoing support system for the learner. Connectivism gives trainers a useful thinking approach that prevents microlearning initiatives from becoming fragmented or incomplete.
In a nutshell
A Microlearning lesson does not always have everything your learner needs to know. It must be used to let the learner connect with: (1) the right knowledge, (2) the right people, and (3) the right systems and sources. More important is for the learner to know ‘How to Use’ these three elements effectively.
Let’s examine the EIGHT principles of connectivism.
What’s Connectivism?
George Siemens saw Connectivism as a process of navigating the connections between: (a) people, (b) ideas/ information, and (c) technology.
To quote Siemens (2004): “A community is the clustering of similar areas of interest that allows for interaction, sharing, dialoguing, and thinking together.”
“The Connections that enable us to learn more are more important than our current state of knowing.”
George Siemens on connectivismConnectivism suggests the use of technology to help learners combine thoughts, theories, and information. ‘Collaboration & discussion’ are important for sharing diverse viewpoints and perspectives. This helps make better decisions at the workplace.
Learning and retention happen by forming these connections.
Importance of technology is known to smart organisations who want to drive performance backed by great learning. Trainers are required to ride this digital wave that feeds the digital natives (learners).
Hence, by using e-learning and microlearning platforms, training needs to consider 3 things:
- the way people learn,
- where they learn, and
- what they want to learn.
Let us understand this with an example of a student who joins a college after high school (Class XII), and how “Connectivism combines previous information with current information to create new meanings and understandings” (Siemens, 2005) as shown below-
The same applies to people who join the workforce. People come with previously learned skills, knowledge and capabilities. Their qualifications and experience is tested by organisations to see and check on the “fitment” factor to the job.
Each business, each role and each department in an enterprise has its own unique needs. No learner comes fully prepared. Hence, the need for training programs that are relevant and well-structured. Microlearning needs to be embedded into the overall training plan to make sure learning fits in the learning path of each learner. Despite being short, microlearning needs to connect, join the dots or past and new learning, and make sense to the learner on the whole. It cannot be fragmented or confusing. This is why knowledge of the concept of Connectivism assumes importance for trainers.
An Example: Unlike a manufacturing business, the learning needs of hospital business are different. A seasoned doctor moving from one hospital to another doesn’t need an induction process like Engineers. This is because unlike doctors who deal with the same human body, Engineers move to different organisations with different products that require different skills/knowledge.
Eight Principles of ‘Connectivism’ and its Relevance to MaxLearn
- Learning and knowledge rest in diversity of opinions
- Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources
- Learning may reside in non-human appliances
- The capacity to know more is more critical than what is currently known
- Nurturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning
- Ability to see connections between fields, ideas, and concepts is a core skill
- Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the intent of all connectivist learning activities
- Decision-making is itself a learning process
How do we make sense of these 8 principles?
These eight principles are abstract, so let’s make sense of them, and see how a learner interacts and is influenced by one’s digital environment.
1. Learning and knowledge rest in ‘diversity of opinions’
Digital media allows opinions and facts (or non-facts) to be shared. It impacts the way information flows uninterruptedly, unfiltered and unstructured. Learning and knowledge also rest on this diversity of opinions!
To facilitate learning in the workplace, organisations are required to establish proper ‘structures’ in place for such opinions and debates to take place in a work environment.
“I know” is being replaced by “we know as a team” with connected specialization!
Learning professionals need platforms and forums in a ‘company learning environment’ so that facts, debates and opinions can be shared resulting in positive outcomes.
What does this structured approach of ‘diversity of opinions’ look like? Well, Wikipedia is a great example of this principle of Connectivism at work!
2. Learning is a process of connecting specialized nodes or information sources
With free and open data, and discoveries taking place constantly, the most critical job is to ensure ‘oneness’ and a ‘holistic view’ while changes and disruption of information continue. Connecting information sources matters in Connectivism to get a ‘complete view’ on any given subject.
The trainers can use robust microlearning platforms to efficiently ‘connect new nodes of information’ for the learners to remain relevant, effective and timely! A good microlearning platform helps you connect relevant and newly emerging data and information sources to the existing pool of its knowledge and learning.
As training professionals, it is important to know how learners connect new information with the existing one. Also, how learners replace the obsolete knowledge constantly to remain relevant to the workplace.
3. Learning may reside in non-human appliances
Artificial Intelligence and all the media of digital engagement are getting better and better each day.
People are hungry for information. Non-human interfaces and devices can absorb, analyse and evaluate so much of learning about any digital interaction.
People look at their devices (smartphones and laptops) instead of looking at their trainers/teachers. A video or a digital medium is preferred over a physically present tutor by many learners.
4. Capacity to ‘Know More’ is More Critical than what is Currently Known
Knowledge is the oil of the information economy! Those who know how knowledge and information flow can manage learning outcomes better in a corporate setting as well!!
To quote Eric Schmidt, “Every two days now we create as much information as we did from the dawn of civilization up until 2003. That’s something like five exabytes of data”.
Quantity of the content is increasing by the minute although the quality of content remains dubious since there is no filtration mechanism to vet the ‘Expertise, Authenticity and Trustworthiness’ of the information the internet exposes us to!
We live in a world where people have turned ‘prosumers’!
A ‘Prosumer’ produce as well as consume a product. The rise of the prosumers has, in turn, resulted in rapid growth of information and knowledge, since people are keen on knowing more! Life of knowledge is also in question with the concept of “half-life of knowledge” which stands for the time from when knowledge is gained to the time when it becomes old/obsolete.
The world is turning into a ‘knowledge economy’ where the capacity to learn, unlearn, and relearn quickly is a core skill in itself!
This also means that training professionals need to offer something tailor-made to the specific needs of the organisation, which may not be readily available in the search engine information flow!
Information is free, open, and available. Training professionals need to recognise this ‘learning behaviour’, and understand how their learners simply love to ‘look-up’ things on the internet, or within the business intranet networks!
5. Nurturing and Maintaining Connections is Needed to Facilitate Continual Learning
The internet and the free flow of information also mean that learning need not be undertaken alone. Technology tools and applications allow for collaboration, and interconnectedness even while you learn.
The connectivism model of learning talks about the ‘tectonic shifts in society where learning is no longer an internal, individualistic activity’.
Training professionals need to create a healthy collaborative learning environment.
Collaboration is done well using microlearning tools, which go beyond face-to-face collaboration.
6. Ability to See Connections between Fields, Ideas, and Concepts is a Core Skill
All the above 5 principles are in inter-play with each other so that a learner can make sense of the information/knowledge. The ability to see the connections between various concepts/information brings in the element of focus in a learner.
When concepts are well layered up and connected, the learner gets the right lens to see things.
Hence, this open and free information landscape helps people and learners ‘draw inferences and meaning’, and this in turn helps in the ‘creation of new content’! Seeing the connections between fields, ideas, and concepts generates new knowledge.
The learners become more active and participative in their learning once they can see these connections between fields, ideas and concepts.
7. Currency (accurate, up-to-date knowledge) is the Intent of all Connectivist Learning Activities
One of the things learning must ensure is access to current and accurate information.
Finding the right and relevant information in itself is a learning activity. This principle is all about ‘how to continually keep knowledge current, accurate, and up-to-date’. This is a challenge in today’s fast-paced and overcrowded data/information landscape.
To do this effectively, a tutor as well as a learner needs to know ‘how to apply search tools’ while exploring search engines or other sources of information/knowledge.
A learner must be taught to access information accurately and easily.
Currency and accuracy are principles of Connectivism that help educators/tutors/trainers as well as learners the art of using new search tools in a connected, fast-paced knowledge environment.
8. Decision-making is itself a Learning Process
Choosing what to learn becomes easier when a learner is well equipped to ‘read between the lines’, and has a clear understanding of ‘what the incoming information’ means! Hence, this requires seeing information/knowledge through the lens of a shifting reality.
Simply put, reality changes in such a way that ‘what is right today’ may turn out to be wrong ‘tomorrow’!
Hence, the lens of a shifting reality is a must-have! It’s all about changing views, concepts, understanding and decisions with changing times.
Let’s understand this with an example–Information and knowledge are constantly changing. So, in a connected information world, information/knowledge would make sense only if it is current and up-to-date.
Constant alteration of information requires a learner to quickly understand information/knowledge that’s constantly changing/evolving.
Based on this logic, training professionals too need their learners to remain open to changes in all the content that they are exposed to.
The Real Relevance of Connectivism to Microlearning
A. Microlearning should help learners connect, not just consume
This combines:
- Diversity of opinions
- Connecting different information sources
- Seeing what connects fields, ideas and concepts
An important microlearning insight
A microlearning lesson needs to be targeted. It should not try to do too many things. No more than 1 to 3 KLPs. Although bite-sized, each lesson must connect with the larger learning goal. It has to make sense and feel connected to the larger learning goal for each learner.
The real value of microlearning lies in helping the learner:
- Connect a new concept with existing knowledge.
- See the connection/relationship between two ideas.
- Access the right source.
- Understand where a certain piece of information fits.
B. Learning can exist beyond the learner’s own memory
Simply put:
- Learning can reside in digital spaces or appliances.
- The capacity to know more matters
Sometimes it’s not needed to memorise every piece of information. In a certain set-up, a learner could be better off knowing:
- Where to find reliable information.
- Which system/source to be used.
- How to interpret that information.
- Knowing when to reach out for more information.
Microlearning implication
This way, microlearning can support performance in the ‘moment of need’.
The goal needn’t always be:
‘Remember everything’.
It could as well be:
‘Knowing how to find and use the right information in the hour of need’.
C. Learning needs to remain connected and continuous
This means:
- Nurturing and maintaining connections.
- Continuous learning.
Microlearning brings in advantages like:
- Just-in-time learning.
- Ongoing reinforcement (spaced repetition and retrieval practise).
- Collaborative learning (team exercises, gamification, leaderboards, points, badges).
- Access to evolving knowledge (constant updates on changes and disruption of workways).
- Learning embedded into work (anytime, anywhere accessibility).
Learning doesn’t end when a lesson ends.
The learner remains connected to people, systems and information sources that continue to shape knowledge.
D. Currency and decision-making matter
This means:
- Accurate knowledge.
- Being up-to-date.
- Decision-making being a learning process.
In fast-changing environments, something that was correct last year may not be correct today. That connect and understanding must be part of creating microlearning snippets.
A microlearning lesson cannot be made in isolation.
It must also help learners:
- Recognise when information changes.
- Allow instant access to updated knowledge.
- Evaluate what’s relevant.
- Make decisions basis updated and latest information.
Making the right decision based on the latest information is valuable. Simply recalling previously learned information can backfire.
The concept of Connectivism gives us this clarity: A singular focus on content delivery doesn’t work.
How Trainers Can Use Connectivism When Designing Microlearning
Before creating a microlearning lesson, ask:
1. What does my learner already know? Are there any other knowledge sources?
Not to assume that a microlearning lesson is the only source of knowledge for a learner.
2. What connections should a learner make?
This refers to the connections or bridges a learner can make between: policies, concepts, departments, systems, situations/scenarios, and even previously learned knowledge.
3. Does my learner need to remember this compulsorily? Or will knowing where and how to access the information work just fine?
This is the most critical Connectivist design question.
4. How current should the content or information be?
This is important for areas like compliance, technology, product knowledge etc. Industries that experience frequent changes/innovations (healthcare, finance, IT) need ongoing training with the updated content.
5. What decision should my learner be able to make after learning a lesson?
This matters since Connectivism looks at decision-making as a part of learning.
Here’s an example:
A compliance manager making a microlearning lesson on a recently changed regulation.
The learner is required to:
- Understand the basic policy.
- Access the latest update.
- Know the difference between ‘old’ versus ‘new’ updates.
- Find how the new update fits into the existing process.
- Reach out to the right internal source for the policy change.
- Make the right decision in a real-world scenario.
Without Connectivist thinking
The trainer gets down to creating a long module with the expectation that the learner will remember everything.
With Connectivist thinking
The trainer creates a targeted microlearning lesson. More important, the trainer approaches the microlearning lesson as follows:
- Connects learners to the latest sources (internal resources).
- Updates existing microlearning content when regulations change.
- Creates scenario-based questions to hone decision-making skills around the changes.
- Helps learners know where to look, especially when the latest information is needed.
Let’s explore how this broader approach in thinking helps in creating a microlearning map.
Using Connectivism While Creating a Microlearning Map
Connectivism adds another useful perspective while creating the microlearning map.
A microlearning map gives you the blueprint of a microlearning lesson. It helps you define the purpose of a lesson, viz., to supplement, reinforce, augment or remediate learning.
Based on this, a trainer can identify the task, desired performance, learning objectives and the approach needed to deliver a lesson.
It allows trainers to think about what the learner could need beyond the learning moment.
Connectivism encourages us to ask the question: Is the lesson alone good enough? Will my learner need access to knowledge beyond the lesson?
How Technology Can Support a Connected Learning Approach
A microlearning platform like MaxLearn makes it easier for trainers to create targeted microlearning lessons. A robust platform is one that delivers learning when it is needed most, personalises learning and tracks progress. It adds strategic value to corporate training, where learning is not left to chance!
But the thinking comes first: understanding how learners connect, learn, update and apply knowledge in an ever-changing world.
To conclude, Connectivism gives trainers a broader perspective that can help make the entire microlearning initiative work better.
