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eLearning Papers • www.elearningpapers.eu •
1
 Nº 11 • November 2008 • ISSN 1887-1542
 
Microtraining as a support mechanism
 
for informal learning
Pieter de Vries, Delft University of Technology, NetherlandsStefan Brall, RWTH Aachen University, GermanySummary
Mostcompaniesareconfrontedwithfastchanginglearningdemandsandtheneedofnewconcepts.Companiesverymuchoverestimateandoverinvestinformaltrainingprograms,whilemissingouttheopportunitiestofostermorenaturalandinformallearningprocesses.Forinformallearningtoflourishitiscrucialtodevelopflexiblemechanismswhichsupportthiskindoflearning,whileavoidingthedrawbacksthatcoincidewithinformality.TheMicrotrainingmethodisbeingdevelopedasamechanismtosupportpredominantlyinformallearningactivities.Microtrainingshouldbeunderstoodasalearningarrangementofabout15minutesforeachlearningoccasion.Eachsessioncontainselementslikeanactivestart,demoorexercise,feedbackordiscussionandasharedviewonhowtoproceed.Suchanoccasioncanbeface-to-face,onlineorinmixedmodesdependingonthecircumstancesandpossibilities.TheconceptisbasedonanumberoftheoreticalconsiderationsofwhichSocialConstructivismisanimportantelement,nexttothenotionsof‘Connectivism’andthe‘LevelsofMastery’.Microtrainingrequiresanorganisationalframeworktoeffectivelyapplythismethodrelativetothelearningissue,theskillsoftheinitiatorandtheemployeesandtheirdailyworkingschedule.Inpractice,itisshownthatthisframeworkhelpstocollectivelydevelopsolutionsforworkplacerelatedlearningwithampleopportunitiesforinformationtransfer.Microtrainingsupportsinformallearningclosetotheworkplace,therebyincreasingthelearningcapacityofthecompany.TheMicrotraining
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conceptisbeingdevelopedintheframeworkoftheLeonardodaVinciprogramoftheEuropeanUnion.
Keywords:
informallearning,accessibility,interactivity,Microtraining,workplacetraining,eLearning
1Thechanginglearningdemandandtheneedfornewconcepts
Knowledgeandlearninghavebecomecriticalassetsformostcompaniesbecauseoftheswiftsocio-economicandtechnologicalchangeswhichreducethetimespanfromthemomentknowledgeisgainedtillitbecomesobsolete.EspeciallyindustriesandSmallandMediumEnterprisesthatfocusoninnovationhaveanincreasingneedforrapiddevelopmentanddisseminationofknowledge.Theinabilityofthetraditionaltrainingandlearningorganizationstocopewiththerisingdemandmostlyrelatetoinflexibilityintimeandplaceofteachingandlearning,theirrelevanceofthecontent,theunavailabilityofexpertsandthesheerapplicabilityintheworkplaceofwhatislearned.Thetraditionalapproachtolearningandtrainingandtheneedfornewconceptsisverymuchrelatedtothediscussiononformalandinformallearning.AccordingtoDigenti(2000)andCross(2007)formallearning-inclassesandworkshops-isnotworkinganymore,becauseitcoversonly10to20percentofwhatpeopleneedtoknowtodotheirjobwell.Theother80%is
 
1
 
www.microtraining.eu
 
 
 
acquiredbymeansofinformallearningthattakesplaceinthevicinityoftheworkplaceandisingeneralmorerelevantforjobperformancethananythingelse(Cross,2007,p.235).Inrealitylearninghappensallthetimeinamultitudeoflearningsettingswhichcantakeplaceinaclassroom,butobviouslymostofthetimeinaninformalsituation.Still,itisabout80%ofthetrainingbudgetthatgoestoformallearningwhichmeansthatcompaniesoverinvestinformaltrainingprograms,whilemissingoutontheopportunitytofosterthemorenaturalandinformallearningprocesses.ThisiswhatCross(2007)callsthe‘Spending&OutcomesParadox’(seefigure1).
The Spending/
 
Outcome Paradox
Formal
 
Learning
TrainingFormal
 
educationPublications
Informal
 
Learning
Day
‐
to
‐
day,
 
on
‐
 jobCo
‐
workersMentors
 
&
 
coaches
Spending Learning
Figure 1
TheSpendingandOutcomesParadox(adaptedfromCross,2007,p.XIV)
Thedistinctionbetweenformalandinformallearningshouldnotbeunderstoodasastrictlyseparatedsetoflearningactivities,butalearningspectrumwithformallearningdepictedasatraditionalclassroomoriented,curriculumboundlearningandinformallearningasasocialactivityconsistingofamixofactionsthatsupportlearningonthego(seefigure2).
Understanding the Spectrum of 
 
Learning
„At
 
least
 
80%
 
of 
 
employee learninghappence in
 
theworkplace…“
U.S.
 
Department
 
of 
 
Commerce
Learning SpectrumFormal
 
Learning
 
Formal
 
LearningInformal/
 
Social Learning
 
Informal/
 
Social Learning
ClassesCoursesTraining
 
ProgramsCurriculumCertificatesSchoolTop
 
DownGradedNo
 
Classes,
 
Attendanceor GradesNever Ends
 
(LifetimeLearningObservation
 
and
 
DiscoveryAsk a
 
peer,
 
mentor,or expertImpromptu
 
ConversationsTrial
 
and
 
ErrorCall the help lineRead an
 
article
 Figure 2
TheLearningSpectrum
 
eLearning Papers • www.elearningpapers.eu •
2
 Nº 11 • November 2008 • ISSN 1887-1542
 
 
 
Formallearningisverymuchintegratedintheexistingorganization,itisquitepredictableandpeopleareusedtoit,duetotheirpreviouslearningexperiences.Theoriginsofmoste-learningactivitiesarebasedontheneedtomakeformallearningmoreflexible.Inmostcasesthough,thetraditionalclassroomparadigmofthe‘lonelylearner’wascopiedintoflashylookinge-learningcourses‘consumed’inoutsidetheworkplacecontext(DeVries,Veen&Veeningen,2008).Informallearningislesspredictable,neverthelessitisaverynaturalwayoflearning,butisoftennotperceivedaslearning.Inpracticethoughinformallearningisconsideredmoreeffectivethanformallearning,becauseitispersonal,itisrealandthelearnerisresponsible(Cross,2007;DeVries&Leege,2008).Organizationsthougharestillnotverymuchawareoftheopportunitiesinformallearningcanoffer,withthepotentialtodevelopasaprofitstrategyasitallowsorganizationstobetterdealwiththeiremerginglearningdemands.Forinformallearningtoflourishitiscrucialtofindwaystodevelopandsupportthiskindoflearninginsuchawaythattheingredientsthatmakeitsosuccessfularekeptinplace,whileavoidingthedrawbacksthatcoincidewithinformality.Microtrainingisaconceptthatisdevelopedasamechanismfororganizationstosupportinformallearning,whilefindingabalancebetweentheprosandconsofsuchaninformalprocess.ItisfromthisperspectivethatafirstprojectwasstartedonMicroteachingintheframeworkoftheLeonardoprogramoftheEuropeanUnion,whichwasfollowedbytheactualMicrotrainingproject.TheMicrotrainingconceptdiscussedhereoriginatesfromtheresearchandexperiencesofthisLeonardoproject,whichwillendinthefallof2009.
2TheMicrotrainingapproach
TheMicrotrainingapproachhasbeendevelopedtodeliverlearningclosetotheworkplaceinaratherdifferentmode,tryingtoavoidthethresholdsthatmakethetraditionalapproachsounproductive.Microtrainingisabouttheorganizationalchallengeforcompaniestoestablishlearninginthecontextoftheirbusinessandtheoptionstodealwiththischallengeinapractical,activeandeffectiveway.Mostlearningtakesplaceatworkinaninformalsetting(Cross,2007).TheMicrotrainingapproachaddressesthisissuebysupportinginformal,unofficial,unplannedandadhoclearningprocessesaswellassemi-formallearningactivities,usingthesamebasicarrangement.Themostimportantelementistoprovidestructuretofacilitatetheselearningpracticesthatcanhelptomakethelearningactivitymorevisible,extendable,reusableanduptodate.TheMicrotrainingarrangementcomprisesatimespanof15-20minutesforeachlearningoccasion,beingface-to-face,onlineorinablendedmode.Eachsessionstartsactively,followedbyademonstrationorexercise,feedbackorshortdiscussion,andendswithdirectionsforfurtherdevelopmentandabriefpreviewofthenextsessions.Intheseseriesofsessionsemployeesareencouragedtosharetheirknowledgewithothersandtomakecontributionsthatbenefittheirorganization(Overschie,2007;DeVries&Leege,2008).Knowledgetransferincompaniesisespeciallydifficultforemployeeswhosepresenceintheworkplaceisofvitalimportancefortheprimarybusinessprocesseslikeproduction,operations,salesandtransport.TheMicrotrainingapproachisespeciallysuitableforthosewhosebasicknowledgeneedstoberefreshedorimprovedandwhoneedinformationforimmediateuseintheirdailypractice.TheMicrotrainingworkflow(figure3)showsthattheMicrotrainingSessionhasabasicarrangementandincaseofmoresessionsononeissue,allthesessionsarestructuredinthesamewaywithanintroductionandaroundingoff.TheaimoftheMicrotrainingsessionsistohavebriefsessionswithaminimaldisturbanceofthedailyworkschedule.Thesessionscanbeorganizedrapidlybyanyofthestakeholdersinanuptodateandrealisticfashion.Tobeeffectivethelearningactneedstotakeinaccounttheemployees'knowledgeandexperience,
 
eLearning Papers • www.elearningpapers.eu •
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 Nº 11 • November 2008 • ISSN 1887-1542
 
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