Bite Size Learning And Andragogy | The Changing Face Of Corporate L&D

The concept of bite-sized learning is all about how we deliver the training with respect to time and course. Instead of delivering training over a continuous course, we break it into chunks to make learner utilize their vacant time slot in their schedules.

The concept of bite-sized learning is ideal since people are transitioning toward multitasking and they are unable to get the bigger time slot. As per research carried by various training industry, people’s learning curve in the bite-size learning approach has increased significantly and reduced the training cost by 30%.

The current corporate learning and development methodology still harnessing the age-old concept without even acknowledging the technological and commitment shift of an individual and an organization. Corporate growth is all about employee’s performance consistency and knowledge. The performance will be only ensured by having knowledge. And it’s a high time for a corporation to acknowledge the technological and commitment shift to ensure an employee performance consistency is maintained through regular learning and development activities.

BITE SIZE LEARNING: A STRUCTURAL CHANGE WITH ALL THE GOODNESS
Falco conducted a survey at several classroom and seminar to provide the preliminary experiment from a statistical perspective of how bite-size learning is effective. We analysed the effectiveness of tool and approach from a learner perspective and observed the significant upside in learner ability to learn. Bite-size learning should be considered as a structural change in the learning and development and there is the various reason behind this momentum since the last couple of years.

Falco expertise in learning and development evolved over a period of time backed by real-time experience. One of our studies shows once the training session reaches 60 minutes, the alertness level of learner drop significantly. And there is another element known as ‘Forgetting curve’ which postulates that human forgets nearly 80% of what they learn in 30 days if there is no reinforcement. In such a case, it is important to have a structural change in the way we teach and that’s where bite-size learning comes into the picture.

The structure of bite-size learning can be used for both formal and informal learning. It’s an action-oriented approach of offering bite-sized learning that get the learner to learn, act and practice. These are the short training nuggets that address a specific learning outcome. However, bite-size learning is not just all about breaking down a long training session into small pieces. There are an art and science behind making bite-size learning effective and that’s where Falco Peregrinus play an important role.

BENEFITS OF BITE SIZE LEARNING
Easy to manage: As we mentioned earlier, Bite size learning is less time commitment, therefore, people can easily be allocated half an hour for their learning.

Tailored by topic: Let’s take an example of skill to revamp training session which is going to be for three days. With the help of bite-sized learning, the same course can be broken up into sub-topic and chunks and training could take place over a longer period of time.

Easy to create: Creating a training module is one of the complex tasks in the learning management system, but with bite-size learning, it’s much easier. Not only are the courses shorter, but a course designer can focus on one topic at a time. And if you designing a shorter topic at a time, lot more of creativity will come while doing so.

Device friendly: In the age of digitization, most of the traffic comes from a mobile device, therefore, the modern age corporate learning program needs to be mobile device friendly. The study shows, people travel to their work quite often and bite-size learning will help utilize in their travelling time.

Information retention: Keeping the employee engaged in corporate training or students in the classroom is really a tough task for the trainer. Their physical availability in the classroom doesn’t ensure that mentally they are there. Using the bite-size learning approach, short bursts of information allow for more information retained. And since people are giving up their less of their time at once, they are more willing to be present during the session.

SHORT TRAINING SESSION: ANALYTICAL VIEW
The shorter training session gives an opportunity for the learners to test, reflect and assess what they learned recently. Although, the courses are designed in such a way that learner should complete course in a specific time however that is not mandatory for the learner. From the analytics point of view, the attempts in the learning session show a behavioural aspect in the platform uses.

To measure the effects of bite-sized learning and reflection on learner performance during learning, Falco performed the quantitative analyses based on tool uses, the effect of effort, the effect of reflecting, topics and learners consistency; and found an extraordinary pattern where users completing more task than another learning method. The analysis gives an adequate amount of information to the trainer to understand the learners perspective and adopt the Adaptive Learning(AL) approach.

BITE SIZE LEARNING IMPLEMENTATION
Bite-size learning has gained huge momentum due to the smartphone revolution. However, this approach is not restricted to the smartphone. While implementation, we need to take care of several factors right from course design, presentation layer, application architecture, learner behavioural analysis framework to adaptive learning.

Course design: Bite-size learning has taken the corporate training world by storm. In a recent survey conducted by Falco Peregrinus, 90% of learning and development professional stated that the bite-size learning approach is more preferred by the learner of all the age and course topic. And this is not just because of breaking the traditional longer course into pieces. The course needs to designed in such a way that learner should keep themselves engaged throughout the session.

Presentation layer: Changing the presentation pattern of learning content is very important. Most eLearning program designers follow temporal dramaturgies while creating online courses. The presentation layer of bite-size learning approach used to user-centric based on cognitive study instead of presenting the course in fixed structure with a beginning, description of the subject matter, few exercises, and an ending.

Application architecture: Platform to present the bite-size learning are more thoughtful in terms of engaging and reminding the users through in-app messaging, push notification, gamification, practice session, coach marks an email update on their progress. And all these features are meant to engage users naturally.

Learner behavioural analysis framework: Bite-size learning is more aligned with users based upon the principles of learning to change the behaviour of learning pattern and tools usability.

FALCO CASE STUDIES OF SUCCESSFUL IMPLEMENTATION
Manufacturing and supply chain:

From a startup and mid-size company to large enterprise, Falco Peregrinus implemented the bite-size learning by harnessing online social media, custom developed platform, Moodle and another proprietary framework. We have implemented Microsoft Office 365 suite as one of the platforms to make bite-size learning easy along with another proprietary tool for manufacturing and supply chain company.

A generator set manufacturer who manufacturer irrigation generator set, have hundreds of sales representative in the urban and rural area. Their challenge was to distribute the updated content to all sales reps about products, services, sales pitch and knowledge-based to use the generator set. Using office 365 and custom made LMS, they are successfully managing the customer base across India.

Retail industry:

A retail company who sell the genset in urban and rural India leveraging the full potential of bite-size learning to enable its sales representative sell genset and parts better. Over a period of time, the company has developed a library of a bite-size online library of content and videos, which can be accessed by the representative on their tablets and iPads anytime, anywhere.

Ever growing competition in the retail industry is making the revenue lesser and operation quite complex. Our bite-size learning for retail chain company has made their product presentation on their website updated and ahead with its competitors. They had the time constraint since they had to offer and present their product according to festivals, using bite-size learning they are able to make their employee updated with the new enhancements, upgrades, skills and timelines.

Restaurant and food distribution:

A reputed restaurant and food distribution company using custom bite-size learning modules to update customers and delivery boy on the go about status and schedules on the move. The company provides these updates through a centralized tracking system which can be accessed on any device.

Restaurant and food industry is so fragile that a single mistake can break the brand reputation. They need to take utmost care of their food and delivery timing and it is possible only if the entire team is aligned on their daily schedules, deliverables and customer feedback. Bite-size learning has helped them to make their staff update on the move.