The A to Z of Microlearning with Shannon Tipton

Summary

In this insightful interview, L&D professional Shannon Tipton discusses the evolution and impact of microlearning in the workplace. Highlighting its flexibility and ability to deliver targeted content, she emphasizes the importance of creating standalone learning modules that cater to specific outcomes. Tipton also addresses the role of AI in streamlining microlearning content creation and the shift towards community-based learning in the future of L&D. Her advice for effective microlearning? Focus on one topic at a time for maximum impact.

Takeaways

• 😀 Microlearning is defined as short bursts of focused, right-sized content aimed at achieving a specific outcome.
• 🏫 The pandemic reshaped the microlearning landscape by accelerating the need for flexible and accessible training solutions that can reach people where they are.
• 🔧 AI has the potential to streamline the development of high-quality microlearning modules by assisting in content creation, brainstorming, and repurposing existing content.
• 📚 Microlearning should not just be chopped-up content but should have a clear beginning, middle, and definitive end to ensure standalone comprehension.
• 🎯 Microlearning can be effectively used for complex and technical training when integrated properly with other learning methods such as blended or flipped classroom approaches.
• 📈 Measuring the effectiveness of microlearning should focus on appropriate metrics that align with business goals, rather than just engagement numbers.
• 👥 Microlearning appeals across generations and should be adapted to organizational culture and individual preferences for information consumption.
• 🛠️ AI can help in rapid content creation for microlearning, from generating outlines to producing graphics and video scripts, making the process quicker and potentially more efficient.
• 🌐 The future of L&D may see a trend towards community-based and peer-to-peer learning, facilitated by technology that allows for easy community nurturing and user-generated content.
• 📊 Business acumen is a crucial skill for L&D professionals to understand and speak the language of business, ensuring their work aligns with and adds value to organizational goals.
• 📚 Shannon Tipton recommends 'Designed for How People Learn' by Julie Dirksen as a favorite book on Learning and Development, highlighting the importance of understanding learning processes.

Q & A

What is the definition of microlearning according to Shannon Tipton?

Microlearning is defined as short bursts of focused, right-sized content to achieve a specific outcome.

How did Shannon Tipton's professional journey in L&D begin?

Shannon started in the restaurant business and transitioned into training when she expressed interest in developing franchisees, which led her to explore and eventually become passionate about the L&D field.

What is the significance of the name 'Learning Rebels' for Shannon's consultancy?

The name 'Learning Rebels' originated from a blog Shannon started with a friend. It reflects her philosophy of challenging traditional learning methods and aligns with her approach to L&D.

Why did Shannon decide to start her own independent consultancy?

Shannon wanted to maintain her passion for L&D and not move with her company's headquarters from Chicago to Philadelphia. She took the opportunity to start her own business, embracing the philosophy of 'Learning Rebels'.

How does Shannon view the role of microlearning in complex and technical training?

Shannon believes microlearning can be used for complex topics by being careful and using it as a tool within a larger learning initiative, such as reinforcement links in leadership development programs.

What is Shannon's perspective on measuring the effectiveness of microlearning?

Shannon suggests that the effectiveness of microlearning should be measured in terms of its contribution to broader business goals, rather than just engagement metrics like views or downloads.

How does Shannon Tipton suggest adapting microlearning to cater to different generations in the workforce?

Shannon believes microlearning appeals across generations and emphasizes the importance of aligning learning solutions with organizational culture rather than focusing solely on generational differences.

What are some alternative formats to video that Shannon mentions for microlearning content?

Shannon mentions infographics, PDFs, and other formats as effective for microlearning in certain scenarios, emphasizing the importance of choosing the right format based on the content's needs.

How does Shannon see the potential of AI in streamlining the development of high-quality microlearning modules?

Shannon sees AI as a tool that can significantly help in the brainstorming process, content creation, and even in generating graphics and video scripts, making the development of microlearning modules faster and more efficient.

What impact did the pandemic have on the microlearning landscape according to Shannon's observations?

The pandemic reshaped the microlearning landscape by accelerating its adoption as organizations sought ways to deliver training remotely and efficiently. It highlighted microlearning's ability to reach people where they are without causing disruption.

What is Shannon's advice on implementing microlearning without just repurposing old content?

Shannon advises creating microlearning with a clear beginning, middle, and definitive end, ensuring each piece is a standalone object that contributes to a larger learning objective, rather than simply chopping up existing content.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Introduction to Microlearning and Interview Start

The video script begins with a discussion on the components of learning and the potential of AI in developing microlearning modules. It transitions into the impact of the pandemic on microlearning and introduces the host, Aura, and her role at Animer. The interviewee, Shannon Tipton, is highlighted as an experienced L&D professional and the host sets the stage for an exploration of microlearning myths, misconceptions, and strategies.

05:00

👩‍💼 Shannon's Journey from Restaurant Management to L&D

In this paragraph, Shannon Tipton recounts her unexpected journey into the field of Learning and Development. Starting in the restaurant business, she transitioned to training due to her skills in developing franchisees. Her curiosity and passion for learning led her to connect with others in the industry and delve into learning science, eventually shaping her career in L&D.

10:02

📚 The Origin and Philosophy of Learning Rebels

Shannon explains the background of her consultancy, Learning Rebels, which began as a blog co-founded with a friend. The name reflects her philosophy on learning, which was considered unconventional at the time. After deciding not to move with her corporate employer's headquarters, she took the leap to start her own business, continuing the rebellious spirit of challenging traditional learning methods.

15:04

💡 Defining Microlearning and Avoiding Common Pitfalls

This section delves into the definition of microlearning as short bursts of focused, right-sized content aimed at achieving specific outcomes. Shannon emphasizes the importance of creating microlearning with a clear beginning, middle, and end, cautioning against simply chopping up existing content into smaller pieces, which can disrupt the learning process.

20:06

🔍 Incorporating Microlearning into Complex Training

Shannon discusses the misconception that microlearning is only suitable for simple topics. She suggests that microlearning can be used for complex and technical training by integrating it with other learning methods such as blended or flipped classrooms. The key is to use microlearning as a tool within a larger learning strategy.

25:07

📈 Measuring the Effectiveness of Microlearning

In this paragraph, Shannon addresses the challenge of measuring microlearning effectiveness, advocating for metrics that align with business goals rather than generic engagement numbers. She stresses the importance of tracking behavioral changes and the outcomes of learning initiatives, rather than just the completion of microlearning modules.

30:08

👥 Adapting Microlearning for Different Generations

Shannon considers the adaptability of microlearning across different generations, suggesting that it appeals to all ages due to its concise nature. She advises against focusing solely on generational differences and instead emphasizes the importance of aligning microlearning strategies with organizational culture and individual preferences.

35:09

🎨 Choosing the Right Format for Microlearning

The paragraph explores the various formats for microlearning content, such as videos, infographics, PDFs, and more. Shannon advises that the choice of format should depend on the content's requirements and the context in which it will be used, highlighting the need for empathy in understanding the learner's situation.

40:09

🤖 The Role of AI in Streamlining Microlearning Content Creation

Shannon discusses the potential of AI in the development of microlearning, from brainstorming to content creation. She sees AI as a tool that can save time and enhance productivity, allowing for rapid content generation that can be tailored to specific learning objectives.

45:12

🌐 The Post-Pandemic Microlearning Landscape

Reflecting on the pandemic's impact, Shannon observes a shift in how organizations approach microlearning. The need for remote training led to an increased adoption of microlearning through apps and platforms like TikTok. The pandemic accelerated the acceptance and integration of microlearning as a standard practice.

🚀 Success Stories of Microlearning Implementation

Shannon shares success stories of microlearning implementation, such as a sales company using chatbots for product knowledge and a medical device company utilizing email lessons. These examples demonstrate the effectiveness of microlearning in achieving business goals and improving sales outcomes.

🔮 Future of Learning and Development Trends

Looking ahead, Shannon predicts a focus on AI literacy and data analytics as key trends in L&D. She also foresees a move towards community-based and peer-to-peer learning, with a decreased reliance on traditional e-learning, as organizations seek more interactive and accessible learning experiences.

🔥 Rapid Fire Q&A with Shannon Tipton

In the rapid fire round, Shannon shares her favorite microlearning format, personal preferences, and insights on the future of L&D. She emphasizes the importance of business acumen for L&D professionals and suggests that community-based learning will play a significant role in the future of the field.

📝 Key Takeaway on Microlearning from the Interview

The final takeaway from Shannon is the principle of focusing on one topic at a time in microlearning. She advises against overloading learners with excessive information, instead advocating for concise, targeted learning experiences that directly address the learners' needs.

Keywords

💡Microlearning

Microlearning refers to the use of short, focused bursts of content to achieve a specific learning outcome. It is central to the video's theme, as the discussion revolves around the benefits, implementation, and misconceptions associated with microlearning in the context of L&D (Learning and Development). For instance, Shannon Tipton emphasizes that microlearning should be 'short bursts of focused right-sized content to achieve a specific outcome'.

💡L&D Professional

An L&D professional is someone who specializes in learning and development within an organization, often involved in training, instructional design, and educational strategy. The video discusses the importance of skills such as business acumen for L&D professionals and features Shannon Tipton, a prominent name in the L&D field with nearly 30 years of experience.

💡Pandemic

The pandemic has reshaped the landscape of microlearning by accelerating the need for remote and flexible learning solutions. In the script, it is mentioned that pre-pandemic, microlearning was still being explored, but the pandemic necessitated a shift to delivering training to people in their homes, leading to the increased adoption of microlearning.

💡AI

AI, or artificial intelligence, is discussed in the context of its potential to streamline the creation of high-quality microlearning modules. The script highlights how AI can assist in brainstorming, content creation, and even generating graphics and video scripts, which can significantly reduce the time spent on developing learning materials.

💡Rapid Fire Session

A rapid fire session typically involves a series of quick, concise questions and answers, often used in interviews to cover a wide range of topics in a short amount of time. In the script, the rapid fire session is mentioned as an exciting part of the interview where various thought-provoking questions are asked to expand the view on microlearning.

💡Learning Rebels

Learning Rebels is Shannon Tipton's consultancy that helps top companies with their learning solutions. It represents a philosophy of breaking the mold and innovating in workplace learning, which aligns with the theme of exploring and implementing effective microlearning strategies.

💡Spaced Learning

Spaced learning is a technique where information is presented to learners incrementally over time, allowing for better retention and understanding. The script mentions a sales company case study where chatbots were used to send out information about a product incrementally, leading to a 20% increase in sales.

💡Community-Based Learning

Community-based learning involves learning within a community context, often peer-to-peer, and is seen as a future trend in L&D. The script suggests that there will be a shift away from traditional e-learning towards more community-based and user-generated content, reflecting a return to more interactive and social forms of learning.

💡Data Analytics

Data analytics is the process of examining data to draw conclusions about digital information. In the context of the video, data analytics is highlighted as increasingly important for L&D professionals to ensure they are using the right tools and methods effectively, and to measure the success of learning initiatives.

💡Infrographics

Infographics are visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. The script notes that Shannon Tipton prefers infographics as a microlearning format because they can convey a wealth of information in a visually accessible way and are less dependent on language.

💡Business Acumen

Business acumen refers to the ability to understand and make shrewd business decisions. In the script, it is identified as a crucial skill for L&D professionals, as it enables them to speak the language of business and add more value to their organizations by aligning learning initiatives with business goals.

Highlights

AI's potential to develop high-quality microlearning modules through capabilities in flowcharts, graphics, and video scripting.

The pandemic's impact on reshaping the microlearning landscape, emphasizing the need for quick and flexible training solutions.

Importance of microlearning in the current L&D professional's skill set, especially in adapting to changes in workplace learning.

Shannon Tipton's transition from the restaurant business to L&D, highlighting the shift from focusing on numbers to focusing on people.

The concept of microlearning as short bursts of focused, right-sized content for specific outcomes.

The misconception of microlearning being only for simple topics and how it can be effectively used for complex and technical training.

The strategy of repurposing existing content for microlearning by creating standalone, capstone pieces.

Measuring the effectiveness of microlearning through engagement and behavioral outcomes rather than just numbers.

Adapting microlearning to cater to different generations and organizational cultures.

The role of AI in streamlining the microlearning content creation process, from brainstorming to final production.

The use of AI in L&D for tasks beyond content creation, such as graphics and video scripting.

The evolution of microlearning from a trend to a standard practice in the post-pandemic world.

Case studies of successful microlearning implementation in sales and medical device companies.

The future of L&D with a focus on AI literacy and data analytics as key skills for professionals.

The potential for community-based and peer-to-peer learning to redefine the future of L&D.

Shannon's personal favorite microlearning format, infographics, for their versatility and non-dependence on language.

The importance of business acumen as a skill for L&D professionals to better connect and add value to their organizations.

The key takeaway for viewers: microlearning should focus on one topic at a time for maximum effectiveness.

Transcripts

learning has three parts to it right

it's got to be do you think AI holds the

potential to developing high quality

microlearning modules so now it can do

flowcharts it can do Graphics it can do

video script how has pandemic reshaped

the microlearning landscape I think pre

pandemic microlearning was just uh so I

think that's where the shift Happened

One skill that every L&D professional

must have we have got to be able to

learn

[Music]

hello everyone Welcome to our brand new

interview series uh genius talk where we

pick the brains of thought leaders from

the world of L&D I'm Aura the host for

tonight's session and uh I am an LD

marketer at animer for the people who

don't know animer uh it is a DIY

animation tool with uh over 30 million

users across acoss the globe uh recently

we have been uh ranked as the number one

design Tool uh by G2 review and in

tonight's session we have got Shannon

Tipton with us hey Shannon thank you for

joining us Shannon has been a prominent

name uh in the phase of end of phase of

L &d for the past uh nearly 30 years I

guess and she has been a learning

strategist and a specialist she uh is an

international speaker speaker and also

an advocate for uh change in workplace

learning she has her own consultancy

called learning Rebels where she helps

uh top companies with their learning

Solutions and she's also an expert in

microlearning so in today's topic we

will be exploring uh the world of

microlearning we'll be busting some of

the common myths and misconceptions

about microlearning and uh I have a lot

of thought-provoking questions that I

would like to ask to expand uh our view

on microlearning and finally we've got a

rapid fire session which I'm super

excited about so hi Shannon so happy to

have you with

us well thank you for having me I I

really appreciate the invite and I'm

always open to have a conversation about

microlearning it is something that I

feel passionate about so thank you for

having me the first part uh is called

genius Journey where we will be

exploring your professional Journey

let's get started with that

[Music]

first so Shon um nearly 30 years uh in

the field of uh L&D uh it is no small

feat right so at a time when people

wanted to become doctors lawyers and

Engineers how did you think that hm L &d

is going to be my thing so how did that

happen how did that happen um that's an

interesting way of phrasing that

question it's funny um yeah I did not

wake up one day going oh gee I want to

be an L&D professional this is my life's

passion that that didn't happen um I

actually started in the restaurant

business uh so I was on the operation

side of restaurants I was manager

district manager I was an international

regional manager so I I had all of these

different positions within the

restaurant

business but I really didn't find it to

be terribly fulfilling I I was tired of

just focusing on numbers I wanted to

focus on people and I really wasn't sure

what that path would look like so I went

to the leadership and I asked them what

can I do I have this skill for

developing franchisee and franchise

owners so what can I do with this skill

and they said oh we'll just put you in

training

like oh okay so so that's where it all

started and I I knew absolutely nothing

about the training field about L &d and

anything associated with it uh but

fortunately I was curious about it I

really wanted to learn more and so back

in those days you know you didn't have

the Google machine right there there

there was none of that so you had to

pick up a book and and you had to read

about learning science and you had to

try to connect with others through

conferences and you joined um membership

organizations and you just tried to

learn and the more that I learned the

more that I wanted to be a part of this

industry and that's where it all started

uh so you were dealing with front-end

people at restaurants basically so you

were training them like you were good at

it and you started training them as well

so

well right so my job at the time was to

go into uh franchised markets my last

territory was the Pacific Rim so I would

go into restaurants that were in uh

South Korea Japan New Zealand Etc and

help them set up their restaurants help

them set up their businesses so that

their businesses would be successful

right and uh I was also the person that

they would report all their numbers to

and all their sales to and all of that

and I would was really just interested

in how could I make this person be more

successful than they were yesterday

right and then that really became the

motto if you will of what I do is how

can I help people be smarter better

faster than they were the day

before right and that is just that's

really how I've I've taken my career oh

that's that's really inspiring so uh the

next question is uh learning Rebels it's

a very interesting name uh to be honest

so what is the thought behind the name

and uh why did you decide to uh start

your own independent

consultancy well I'll try to keep that

story short um it was uh learning Rebels

was a Blog at

first and it was a Blog that I had

started with a with a friend way back

when I was in Corporate America

and

then when I decided to stop working for

corporate America actually what happened

is that they moved their uh Main

Headquarters from Chicago to uh

Philadelphia and I didn't want to move

and I thought well if I don't want to

move and I I really feel passionate

about what I do and how I do it maybe I

should just open up my own business so I

went completely backwards from all of

the advice that everyone tells you to do

right they tell you have money saved up

and have a business plan and do this and

do that and I was like no not NOP not

going to do any of that I'm just going

to dive on in and see what happens and

so then when I was thinking about a

business name I'm like well I already

have this blog and so I went to my

friend I said can I use this blog as my

business name and she said yes and so

that was the beginning of it I thought

well the way that I look at learning is

really uh at the time it was different

you know the the philosophy was

different and so I thought well I think

learning Rebels is a good way that fits

into my philosophy so let's do that and

that's that's how that have happened all

always about breaking the path and

coming up with something new yeah I to

be the history yes that's a very

suitable name to be honest so uh we are

done with the first part of the

interview now we are going to the second

part of the interview this is called

picking the genius brain and we are

going to get into the topic of the day

[Music]

microlearning let's start with some

Basics so when it comes to microl

learning there are so many perspectives

around uh uh people right so some people

uh call it as short forces while there

are other people who say that uh when

you chop the lar larger pieces of

content into smaller chunks that's

called micr learning so if I had to ask

you in simple terms how would you define

microlearning well the definition that I

have always used and I have been working

in the microlearning space since about

early

2018 um maybe late 2017 I think and the

definition that I have always used for

microlearning has been microlearning is

short burst of focused right-sized

content to achieve a spefic specific

outcome and and so I realized that

that's kind of General but I I use that

definition on purpose one because it's

flexible but also because I wanted to

point people specifically to the idea

that it is short and it deals with

something very specific in order to get

a really specific outcome out of that

learning nugget if you will my second

question is actually a followup of the

first one so many organizations when

they start uh making microlearning

content uh they fall into this trap of

you know uh chopping up their already

existing pre-existing content into

smaller bites so but I have been reading

your blogs for some time and uh I have

uh seen that chopping is not necessarily

microlearning it is not going to give

the exact experience that your employees

should be given so uh the real question

is how can companies smoothly uh

smoothly add well-designed microlearning

pieces into their current uh curriculum

without just reusing their old content

uh into smaller pieces like how can they

transition

smoothly well I don't think it's it's

about not using already established

content they they can do that but it's

just a matter of reconfiguring that

content in a way that's appropriate for

microlearning and and so briefly when

you think about microlearning micro

learning has three parts to it right

it's got a beginning it's got a middle

and it's got a definitive end when we

think about chunking so this is where uh

L &d uh professionals get in trouble or

organizations get in trouble when you

said they chop it up right so when you

chop it up what happens is you have a

beginning you have a middle and you have

a to be

continued okay and so what that leads to

is if you had a 1eh hour let's say your

CEO gave a oneh hour lesson about

something and then you said well let's

chop that up into four 15minute parts

which is the natural

inclination and you know we really

should be chucking things down anyway

but let's think about it in micr

learning terms so we're going to chunk

it into 4 15 minute Parts what happens

with that is in order for me to

understand what is happening in part two

I need to watch part one

right yeah and then I also need to watch

part three in order to understand what

happened in part two and then in part

one so what they need to do is if you're

going to take and repurpose your content

is you need to create capstones so it's

you have a beginning some sort of

introduction this is what we're going to

do and then you have a conclusion that

says okay this is what we have done and

this is now how you are going to take

action on it if you want to learn more

more continue to watch the next piece

yeah each piece then becomes a

standalone object okay uh so it is

multi-purpose for right the piece

individually also makes sense and you

can put it up as a course and it will

still make sense it serves both the

purposes so that's great so the next

question is uh so there's a general

perception that uh microlearning

strategy is only for simple topics uh

like simple specific topic what's your

take on this and is it possible to use

microlearning for complex and Technical

Training sure you just have to be

careful

because microlearning is just another

tool in your toolbox right we we've got

multi different ways that we can go with

learning so then it's about what does

the content require you know can we

insert short pieces into larger complex

topics absolutely so if you think about

leadership

development right can we insert small

microlearning bits for somebody after

they've completed their or while they're

in the middle of their leadership

development training yeah you can do

that so you can use it as a

reinforcement link right nobody is going

to uh be able to take a leadership

development program successfully through

small incremental bites at that's just

not going to happen you you need to have

something to connect it with you need to

have some shared experiences Etc but you

can put microlearning elements into that

process and make it work so that's how

you would handle a larger more complex

topic okay okay got it so there's a

follow-up question for this which

answers what you actually told uh what

other the learning methods can be

effectively combined with uh the

microlearning to facilitate uh into the

complex training Solutions so basically

uh like you said you can add it uh to an

existing method as something as a as you

mentioned a tool inside the tool so what

you're doing then is you're taking your

blend you you're now blending your

content right so you're taking right so

you're taking Blended learning now right

and you are incorporating microlearning

bits into your Blended Learning

Classroom you could also do this with

flipped so if you think about a flipped

classroom

right which is we're putting all of the

lecture stuff up front so then you can

take all of that information you can put

that into microlearning content have

them go through that and then come to

the classroom and discuss what they've

learned through the microlearning

content so you can take and augment your

Blended or flipped courses with it

easily uh it's like a fun interactive

session also like like uh absolutely in

one of your interviews you mentioned

that uh I don't believe or like I don't

like to measure the effectiveness of

microlearning through numbers so why is

that so and if not numbers how else to

measure the effectiveness

otherwise it's not as though I don't

want to measure it through numbers it's

that a lot of times we we put

measurements behind a learning

process that really don't tell a

story and so if we're going to measure

micr learning we have to make sure that

what we're measuring is appropriate and

a lot of times we're not and so the way

that I think about microlearning is that

a lot of times most of the time it's

connected to a bigger learning

initiative okay so now let's go back to

our leadership development

program what was the business goal for

that leadership development program was

it to um improve

retention within the workforce was it to

create uh leadership that was more

Innovative or creative what were you

looking for when you put that leadership

development program okay so now that

you've established that just make sure

that the microlearning elements that

you've inserted into your learning

development course align with those

business goals so the micro learning

itself is not the Lynch pin to success

yes it's

everything now what you might measure

with microlearning in of itself

is uh were the PDF documents downloaded

was was the video watched if it was

watched for how long right did people

open up the course right so those are

the sorts of things where you can say

okay we have engagement but when you

think about actual learning outcomes

it's all about behavioral and that's

what you're going to see when people

conclude so are people behaving the way

that you had hoped that they would

behave at the conclusion of whatever

they took right do you see the business

Bas on that is that Effectiveness uh in

the training did they do the task that

they were supposed to do uh instead of

just measuring uh did they click on the

post did they open the file up there's

no human touch to it as well it's it's

more analytical based yeah oh absolutely

and you can put data analytics behind

this so if you're running an xapi for

example you can then see the progress of

of how people are going through the

microlearning but if you're using

microlearning as part of a drip feed

campaign so you're sending them emails

right maybe so within those emails you

have lessons so how do you measure that

well did they open the

email okay well let's start there you

know so if if they didn't open it then

you know that things aren't happening

the way they need to happen

but in general think about when you

watch a YouTube video so if you go to

YouTube and you watch a video um as in

like how to how to cook a

chicken uh at the end of that YouTube

video I guarantee they are not giving

you a

quiz they're saying here's here's what

we want you to be able to do at the

beginning and here's here's the result

so now look at your chicken does your

chicken look like this if so then you're

successful if not try again you know so

that's how that's how microlearning in

of itself can work when you think about

putting it inside the workflow is it

helping the person to get to the work uh

than you know measuring numbers that's

more important true right the next

question is how can microlearning be

adapted to catter the unique needs of

different Generations so we have got

genx Millennials and we are also seeing

jenzy enter the workforce so how what is

your thought about this I think

microring just appeals across

Generations so I try not to bring

different generational types into it

because everyone now let me restate no

one wants to sit through an hourong

e-learning course no one wants to do

that if you're 60 or if you're 16 no one

wants to do that so how can you then

just make the learning as appealing and

as engaging as you possibly can can and

then you can think well you know how

how how do people within my organization

like to receive information because

there's an organizational culture here

that you have to address so if the

organizational

culture um does not uh is not for chat

Bots they're like no that's not for us

well then even though uh a gen Z person

may want to talk with their phone if the

organizational culture doesn't support

that then we have to go back to what

will it support you cannot just take uh

the generations into consideration you

should also uh think about the company

and what are they uh doing uh what is

their form of working oh okay got it got

it right exactly exactly and sure you

can shift I'm always hey test it out so

your organizational culture may say oh

we don't want to do chat Bots well you

know what if you could do a an

experiment

with 10 people and see how that works

and if you see great success with it

then roll it out to 20 people then roll

it out to 40 people right then the next

thing you know it's part of your

organizational culture but that's how

you break through those barriers um so

the next question is in one of your

blogs you mentioned that uh videos aren

the only way to create microlearning

content infographics PDFs and other

formats are also highly effective for

specific scenarios so my question is in

what scenario iOS do you think videos

and animations are effective for

microlearning and uh when should one opt

for uh other content formats you that's

a really great question I and I get that

um my point has always been it's not

always about video because a lot of

times people think microlearning and

they automatically go to video it's like

okay what does the content require and

that's always my go home point it's look

at the content what does the content

require does the content require just a

checklist you know you don't need to do

a video just just give them a checklist

you know so if the content says you know

if it speaks to you and I know that

sounds um odd but you know when the when

you look at the content the content

speaks to you and it's not shouting

video then don't do video you can't shoe

horn it but there are times where it's

absolutely appropriate

so for example if I were going to you

know if I were going to teach you how to

tie your shoes I'm not going to send you

a podcast I'm going to send you a

video right so it's all about what what

will help the learner get the outcome

that you need to have achieved and then

think about the

modality you should also think about

where the like uh employees is working

under what AB

working this is something I learned from

one of your interviews only like I think

you it was a session in London where you

said uh it has to be appropriate for the

person to access the material or else

it's a flop you cannot uh really uh

things through them right it's it's

absolutely a waste if if they are and

I've worked with clients like this

before so they they will be in like a

clean room so it's technology so they'll

be in a clean room and they can't bring

their phones into a clean room so what

are you want to do you can make this

great video but they can't watch it same

thing if you got someone who's out like

on a construction field right they're

not going to stop what they're doing to

watch a video so or maybe they don't

have the bandwidth or maybe they don't

have a Wi-Fi connection so what are you

going to do so those are all of the

peripheral things that you have to think

about once you say oh I'm going to make

a video now you got to think about all

these other things to ensure that that's

possible I think it's easier to excite

to get excited with uh what kind of

content you want to make but you should

also be empathetic on the other end

there's a bias we have a bias as L &d

people with you know you got some people

who are really excited about creating

videos you have others that are really

excited about graphic design so we have

those things that we love to do but they

aren't always the right direction to go

in so um the next question is uh so in

uh your blogs have consistently

highlighted the the importance of Rapid

content creation for microlearning like

it has to be quick the making process

has to be quick so do you think AI holds

the potential to significantly

streamline the process of uh developing

high quality microlearning modules in a

shorter time spent oh absolutely for

sure if you think of just the the the

front end work so if you think about

microlearning there's a process right

you have content um we'll say uh

communication skills and communication

skills is a very Broad and big topic so

that means you got to go through all of

the brainstorming mechanisms you know to

decide where am I going to where am I

going to focus how do I chunk that down

how do I get to the smallest bit that I

need to get to AI can help you do all of

that you know so you can run your uh

communication outline or article or or

orse thesis through AI and you can have

it do the brainstorming for you and get

down to the smallest nugget and you can

boom go straight to work right so that's

a great help uh also I feel like uh AI

really helps you to at least get started

with the process it gives you a proper

outline and it's a very collaborative

process the more you give input to the

AI the better results you get out of it

uh the immediate thought that people

think about uh AI is content creation

yes that is true content creation but

there are other sectors where AI is

going to enter so please be vigilant of

that as well because right now if you

think about the emergence of Chachi BT

4.0 so now it can do flow charts it can

do Graphics it can do video scripts it

can do all of those things that used to

take

forever especially if you're not if a

creative mindset is not your comfort

zone so if you're very analytical for

example and now you need help from a

creative

perspective you know the the AI can help

you do that and that's really going to

not only just save you time because yeah

it is about productivity on certain

levels but it also can help you produce

something that's really good that maybe

you didn't think about yourself true

true true uh because I see a lot of

articles about time saving but what why

is the time being saved like what is the

need for uh the time save like uh come

up with the better content true and

there's a followup question for this as

well uh so have you seen some of the

interesting ways uh people are using AI

in L&D like uh have you been using in

interesting ways or have you seen others

uh use AI in interesting ways oh

definitely definitely I I just did a

workshop not too long ago about you know

how to do exactly what we just talked

about and it was here here's your

content here's your topic now from that

topic generate learning outcomes based

on Bloom's taxonomy and bl based on the

maker model of a three-part learning

objective now take that and create a

lesson outline now take that lesson

outline and using dog's nine events of

of uh learning create activities based

on those nine events right and so what

we did is we went through that whole

process and it took us less than an hour

to

do right so again yeah fast but people

were amazed at the

Quality so it's about what you ask it

you know so garbage in garbage out right

so it's like you got to ask quality

questions in order to get quality

responses but I've seen people who are

using it there's there's a number of

people online right now who are using it

to create fabulous Graphics you know but

as long as you say that your graphics

are AI generated that's the only thing

right you we've got to credit where

credit is due we got to say that it's AI

generated not generated by us or

somebody else you know and as long as

you're careful that the AI isn't

hallucinating content right so you're

still doing your

research then people out there are doing

some really fabulous things you you're

they're helping you write communication

pieces and I I use it to write emails

sometimes you know so it's when you

think about the marketing part of L

&d right so when you think about

marketing your department you can use AI

to help you Market your department and

you use it like that you know so there's

so many ways that people are using AI

right now the next question is you have

been an advocate of microlearning even

before the pre-pandemic days as you

mentioned from 2008 in the end of 2018

so having witnessed uh its Evolution

firsthand uh what was what was the most

striking differences you've observed uh

in the ways organizations approach

microlearning now compared to the

prepandemic times so in your view how

has pandemic reshaped the microlearning

landscape you know that's a really

interesting question

um I think pre pandemic microlearning

was just uh people were really just

figuring it out you know um and they

were still trying to figure out what was

the difference between microlearning and

chunking content etc

etc and then the pandemic hit and then

it became about how can we deliver

training to people who are in their

homes right without having to create a

bunch of e-learning courses that we

might have to scrape later on and and

then it was okay we we got people who

are sitting virtually so can we do

something virtually as well right so all

of these components were just circling

around and then microlearning came back

up and then you saw all of these

different apps engage by cell learning

Tik Tok right so you see all of these

Tik Tok for learning so you see all of

all of these apps start to flourish

because they realize that we can get to

where people are and I think that was

the biggest aha moment is that

microlearning can help Reach people

where they are at and not create

confusion or disruption in where they

sat and it became an easy way to do it

also a flexible way of doing it so we

can put out training really quickly

right now to adjust the need because we

had all of this instructor-led content

sitting on the shelf that we can't use

anymore so now we have to do something

really quickly and this this was an area

where it was like aha microlearning we

can do that and we can do that quickly

so I think that's where the shift

happened and I think that's where the

momentum still continues to build uh I

think it just lasted for quite a long

time till now we are talking about it I

think it's because of pandemic because

pandemic also

contributed uh for it to stay uh

relevant till today absolutely yeah it's

not a trend it's just

the way we work right when from being

prepandemic when I was doing my work on

it it was a fad and then it became a

trend and so now it's just how we

work people just got this is how this is

how it worked here afterwards they just

got used to

it the next question is um could you

share some of the case studies and

success stories where you have helped

organizations implement microlearning

activities uh initiatives effectively

sure um I can give you a couple without

giving away any names or any of that

sort of thing um there was a sales

company that I worked

with and they were having a new product

roll out

and sales the way that sales works is

that they bring all of their people in

they do a product launch right and then

they do product demos and then they send

everybody away and they hope that they

remember it and it costs a lot of money

and every company does it that way and

this company reached out because they

were looking for a different way to

approach that and what we what we did is

that we broke it up into more of a

blended solution where they had a

virtual roll out and then they still did

demos within their region but what we

did was we implemented chatbot so we

sent chat spots out to the sales team on

a regular

basis incrementally before the launch so

um six weeks before the launch they got

a chat bot about the product reminding

them about what it did and how it worked

Etc and we sent that out once every I

want to say once every 7 to 10 days and

then as the time got closer and closer

to the launch the chats became more and

more frequent so it went from once a

week to twice a week to three times a

week you know don't forget don't forget

do this do that you know uh go here

learn this especially being with product

knowledge things change and so we were

like okay you have to go to this slack

channel to receive this information

that's new right and so we continued to

roll that out and by the time they hit

the ground

running they saw almost a 20% increase

in sales and they had through any other

prior product knowledge so that

microlearning helped hit the goal but

also there was an interesting

serendipitous uh result from that they

had less

turnover so they didn't lose salespeople

during this process whereas before they

would lose salespeople because they

would become uh confused or overwhelmed

or what have you and they would quit so

they didn't lose anybody throughout this

whole launch so it was was a an

interesting serendipitous event now the

second way that we've handled this also

through a medical device company was we

created email lessons so we sent all of

the emails we sent all the lessons via

email in small bits so there was templa

sized so we sent the templates to the

business owners because the stakeholders

wanted to own that process so we rewrote

templates for them for each of the

different uh lessons that were going to

go out insert video here insert audio

here right so we created a catalog for

them to pull from insert and then send

to their people and again they were able

to short so they had a product laod on

the back end so they were able to

shorten the meeting time so usually it

was a full week because of this event

they were able to shorten it to 3 days

so they saved time and money and they

were still successful so so those were

some of the a couple that right off top

of my head that I could think of that

were really successful in using

microlearning to help them achieve their

goals I think when it comes to the sales

company that you work with it's more

like spaced learning right uh you're uh

you're giving them uh the needed

information uh that is required uh with

certain levels of you know like uh time

Gap so that they can process the

information and then start with

something fresh something that can sit

inside them for a longer period of time

that's great actually yeah and that's

exact so go back going back to your

question about measurement this is why

you you don't necess you don't measure

the chat bot you measure what the

ultimate outcome

is and that's so you connected to that

business goal and you see these things

happen uh we've got we've come to the

last question in the sessions L &d is

constantly evolving with the new

technologies and approaches emerging all

the time so looking for uh looking ahead

uh to the next 5 years what is the

biggest Trend you see coming to define

the future of Learning and Development

you know

that's I wish I had a crystal ball then

i' I'd be doing this interview from the

Bahamas

um I think the biggest thing that we

need to pay attention to for now and in

the future it's not just AI it's AI

literacy true you know so how how are we

learning about what it can do for us how

do we know all of the things that it can

do for us and then you couple that with

data

analytic so data analytics is going to

become increasingly important in what we

do and it's just to ensure that are we

doing the right things at the right time

with the right tools and you you can't

use the data if you don't

understand where the data is coming from

so the to me AI literacy is one of the

most important things that we need to be

paying attention to because not only

with data analytics but also when you

think about automation

bias when you think about all of the

things that go around AI right and then

from and then from a more L&D is

perspective I think um some of the

this the future holds for us more

community- based learning so I think

we're going to see a trend away from

e-learning not that e-learning is going

to die but I think that we're going to

see less of a dependence on that sort of

learning and we're going to go back to

community- based learning we're going to

be using more um peer-to-peer

learning so Community Based peer-to-peer

years are generated the old Trends are

coming back again p your

uh yeah right because now we can create

communities I I hesitate to use the word

create those communities are there so we

can nurture those communities we can

bring life to them you know through a

variety of different tools because we

realize now that we don't always have to

be in the same space right you're in

India I'm in Chicago we're having this

great conversation so uh uh organ

organizations can see this right there

happening and there's a lot of business

reasons to make that occur you know so

you think about communities you think

about peer-to peer people learning from

each other but also that user

generated right so so let the Learners

create the learning that they want to

learn from you know let them have a hand

in that it's like Community it's like

Reddit right they can share information

something like uh social media

experience basically

which is also something that I got from

your uh London session where you said

the uh the tools have to be in a way how

people use things in their day-to-day

life it has to work like Google it has

to work like YouTube and it has to work

like Facebook right so yeah yeah exactly

I mean because people

don't there's no need to recreate the

wheel here you know and so if you can

make it easy for people to use the tools

and the be in the communities and

they're going to do

that true yeah they will automatically

do it you don't there's no need to uh

force them or pressure them they would

uh like to do it uh for that try so now

we are going to enter into the third

part of the interview which is my

favorite rapid fire around I've got a

lot of questions so let's get started

[Music]

quickly what is your favorite to tool or

Tech recent favorite tool or Tech

chpt yeah it's my favorite too so yeah

it just been saving life so yeah so the

next question is um what is your

favorite microlearning format your

personal favorite micro learning format

infographics yeah because you can do you

can put a wealth of information in an

infographic and just send it out and I

also feel like it is not very dep on

language yeah videos okay I understand

English I'm able to watch it what about

the others who who don't understand

English I feel like infographics to an

extent they can communicate uh what it

is required to communicate it's what I

feel my example of that is when you

fly there's that thing that's in the

seat back pocket right the the how to

get off the plane and that's all in

pictures so if they can show me how to

get off the plane if the plane is in

dire need using pictures then I think

that I can teach somebody how to

communicate I think we're good uh if you

have chosen a different occupation what

would it

be

um

probably I would

probably I always love the movies but I

didn't want to be an actor I but I like

movie theaters so I think it would have

something to do with movie theaters

running one or having one or something

like that oh nice that would have been

interesting so yeah then um if you get a

magic wand and uh if you want to change

something uh what would it be it can be

anything if I had a magic one and could

change

anything

um oh well I suppose I could just go the

Miss America route and say World

Peace um

but uh but outside of that what would I

what would I change

um in my own life let's just say oh you

know what I would change I would I would

wave a wand and make sure that everybody

including myself had a more had a more

um focused view of work life

balance great really you know because I

think we all work way too hard and do

way too much and we don't take enough

time to take care of ourselves that

that's actually a very nice answer and

it's a nice use of the

wand so in your opinion what is one

skill that every L&D professional must

have business

Acumen um we have got to we have got to

be able to learn more about how

businesses operate in order for us to be

successful you know we don't talk the

language of business we we talk the

language of learning and our businesses

don't care about the language of

learning they care about the language of

business so in my opinion we need to do

more about business Acumen in order to

in order to further connect ourselves

and add value what is your favorite book

on Learning and Development designed for

how people learn by Julie durksen

designed for how people okay we'll

definitely check it out for

sure if you if your life is a movie what

would the title

be oh wow what would the title be of my

movie

um it would it would

be it was something it' be something

like stage one stage two stage three

you me the no divid into sections yeah

this this is this is what the first

phase of your life was going to be

here's what the second phase of your

life is going to be and here's what the

third phase of your life is going to be

none of which is

expected there we go the unexpected

journeys of your life that's the title

interesting movie

title so uh here is my uh F this is the

last question and uh this is my favorite

question out of all so today we discuss

discussed so many things about

microlearning but uh what is the one

piece of information that you would want

the viewers of this video not to forget

when they think of using microlearning

in their training one concept at a

time so microlearning one topic one

topic

only that's what I would ask them to

remember uh a lot of times in L&D when

we want to uh when we want to train

somebody to do things for for

example your team member only wants to

know how to tell

time yet we insist on giving them the

history of the

watch you know so microlearning is one

topic one topic only stay to that topic

makes sense makes sense because it's a

lot of time waste right I just wanted to

know uh that I just wanted to do

something simple oh right please don't I

don't need the history of the Apple

watch I just I want to know how how to

use the app Feature that's all I want to

know so just give them that so I think

this reminds me of the time when I was

doing uh I did a communication I'm a

basically a communication graduate so we

had a paper uh at that time called

Social Media communication so I really

thought that they would be they would be

teaching how to run ads or something

like that but they started with uh who

invent Ed

Facebook I can Google that I Google that

you could have literally ask me to you

know check this Wikipedia page I will

literally do that I really don't want to

know about the history of Mark

Zuckerberg till the end of the session

until the end of the course I didn't

really know how to run ads I just had to

learn it by myself so yeah perfect

example we are done with the interview

it was so fun thank you so much Shannon

thank you so much for Tak the time and

thank you so much for generously sharing

your expertise in the field of micr

learning with me um thank you so much oh

it was my pleasure it was a lot of fun I

enjoy having these conversations I'm

glad I'm glad you found it to be a chill

environment that makes me happy good as

the last part of the session uh we're

going to take a picture uh so it'll be

nice if you can strike a goofy pose or

something uh

goofy or something that is fun you

know so I'm going to hold my mug so you

can do something else if you want to you

hold your cup all mine how about that oh

yeah Okay

cool so yeah I think we are done with

the session thank you so

much you're welcome you're welcome it's

my pleasure thank you for having me it

was an honor I appreciate it