mobility and repetition are points you may not have considered.
by jassen bowman
tax resolution systems
training employees effectively in our fast-paced, information-saturated world can be a big challenge for business leaders.
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in the past, you might have been able to get staff to sit through a three-hour training course without issue. today, accomplishing the same can seem impossible.
creating effective staff training programs means knowing how to appeal to individuals who are always on the go mentally. for some public accounting firms, nano learning is emerging as the answer to training and onboarding challenges.
instead of presenting large amounts of information over the course of several hours, this strategy focuses on presenting small bursts of information in about 10 minutes. this style of training is effective with learners of all ages and works especially well for busy professionals who don’t have time to sit down for an extended training course.
in addition, the new nasba cpe standards have been expanded to include nano learning, and we can expect state legislatures and boards of accountancy to start incorporating these standards very soon. in fact, the texas state board of public accountancy recently rolled out its own nano learning cpe guidelines, making it the largest state to now do so.
if you’re not sold on the value of nano learning, consider these five reasons that incorporating it into your training strategy makes good business sense.
1. it’s a mobile, customizable solution.
today’s employees are always on the go, and meeting their training needs means providing them with learning opportunities wherever they are. maybe your staff members commute to work on the train or would love to complete learning exercises in their evening free time. nano learning modules allow employees to absorb high-impact information no matter where they are. this is a convenient solution that appeals to employees because it doesn’t disrupt or distract from their day. it’s a great way to provide training to employees who travel frequently or work from remote locations, too.
2. it increases employee engagement.
employees want to feel like they’re valued by their firms and want to be offered professional development opportunities, but they don’t have the time needed to focus on learning opportunities. it’s a conundrum for business leaders who want to offer training but encounter a disengaged workforce. nano learning solves the problem by providing development activities without inconveniencing staff.
3. it meets the needs of a digitally connected world.
with information always at our fingertips, we’re unlikely to watch a 90-minute documentary to find out the answer to a question. instead, we ask google what we want to know and go about our business. some call the modern era “the age of distraction.” meeting the needs of learners who live in an always-on world means providing information in a catchy, time-effective manner. nano learning does just that by using novel formats to engage employees who are constantly bombarded with information. providing easy-to-digest information in 10-minute increments is a great way to provide training in a world where learners are easily distracted from the task at hand.
4. it’s a great way to reinforce information.
regular reinforcement is one of the most important aspects of a successful training program. after all, employees don’t always retain every bit of information they need on the first pass. repetition helps to reinforce learned information and can also drive the acquisition of new work habits. these short learning modules are the perfect vehicle for revisiting important work topics. nano learning units designed to reinforce information also provide a quick-and-convenient way to extend the value of longer, more costly training activities.
5. it makes the most of miller’s law.
according to miller’s law, the average individual can only retain between five and nine pieces of information in the correct order. if your training program throws more than about seven pieces of information at learners at a time, it’s unlikely that they’ll retain everything you want them to. with nano learning, individuals learn one or two pieces of high-value information at a time, which translates into better retention.
remember that employees also benefit from diverse learning opportunities. if your firm provides training in only one format, you’re likely to lose the interest of many employees. providing nano learning opportunities in addition to more traditional training is a great way to mix up the learning and development process at your firm and drive staff engagement.