Contextual Microlearning For Empowering Workers
Strengthening employees through contextual micro-learning
Training employees to use office technology can also prove to be time consuming, important as it is, and can be a drain on office resources. Relying only on traditional IT training methods is an expensive strategy that will keep employees away from their desks for long periods of time. It cannot be said that training programs are ineffective, but when coupled with contextual micro-learning, the overall employee experience is improved for efficiency reasons.
When you make contextual micro-learning a part of your company’s IT training efforts, it goes beyond simply imparting knowledge to your employees. Workers need help and guidance in the course of their work and after a certain process has been explained. This is where contextual micro-learning comes in. In addition to regular training courses, contextual micro-learning provides step-by-step guidance for users when they need it, without having to leave their digital work environment. For a sustainable transfer of knowledge, contextual micro-learning is a must for your workplace.
Regular IT training courses have a short shelf life
Employee training [1] come with several challenges that make them inadequate in the long run. Let’s take a look:
- Training programs for certain software such as SharePoint, Microsoft Teams or other Microsoft 365 applications are expensive, which makes them unsustainable for smaller organizations. Smaller companies find it more difficult to train their employees regularly, which in turn affects the acceptance and use of such platforms.
- Learning is not forever. Often times, people don’t forget what was covered in training until hours later. This is both a waste of time, money and any equipment that may have been used. The IT training is the same; it is tedious and difficult to remember after a while.
- If employees are unable to remember what they have learned, they are likely to spend a lot of time revisiting training resources and looking up answers to improve their memory, resulting in a loss of productivity.
- One-off training courses that are offered when new software is introduced are only available to employees at the time, so new hires cannot access the same information.
At first glance, standard IT training might be the way to go, but a little more is required to ensure sustainable learning. It is therefore of crucial importance for companies to supplement their IT training with something that is feasible in the long term.
Benefits of contextualization
A contextual learning aid system is one that proves applicable resources based on the technical tool in which you are working. Depending on the page or part of the tool you are on, the learning resources shown are very relevant to that page.
Employees and end users can start work immediately without any prior knowledge of digital workplace technology. If you are unsure how to perform a particular task in an application, just follow the context-sensitive help system that will walk you through the task and guide you through to completion. This help can be in the form of screenshot videos or walk-in tabs, or other methods supported by the help system, to guide you from one step to the next.
The most notable part of contextual micro-learning is that it can be done without compromising productivity levels. It enables end users to access information specific to them and immediately put their newly acquired knowledge into practice.
Start implementing contextual micro-learning for employees now
Whichever IT training method you choose, the end goal for all is to make it easier to adopt, use, and deploy new technology. So why not invest in something that will ensure the longevity of your training efforts [2]? It even shows that you are investing in the growth and development of your people by providing them with the best resources.
Empowering learning is critical to maintaining employee productivity, which is why contextual micro-learning must be part of your IT training strategy [3]making resources easily accessible when and where you need them. It eliminates the weaknesses of traditional technology training and enables companies to make the most of their technology investments over the long term.
References:
[1] 10 pain points of employee training
[2] Are your remote workers having problems with technical training?
[3] Microsoft Viva Overview: Why Context Is Critical To Learning From Microsoft
