Introducing: nutshell learning. Also known as micro learning. Have you ever heard of it?

Let me put it straight: learning, in a nutshell, is daily knowledge micro dosing. Even though micro learning is not a new concept, everyone surprisingly makes a big deal out of it (including me).

Teeny tiny

See what’s happening here?

 

Nowadays we have an uber fast pace of information flow, and only 24 hours a day. The Internet made information sharing easy and possible. But the phenomenon of knowledge overflow brought us a couple of steps backwards. Because we are not able to keep up with it all.

Informational floodgate burst, concentration is diminishing and the knowledge gap is slowly but surely widening.

Formal made informal

Formal – classroom or office – training can range from a couple of days up to three years if we are talking about a Bachelor’s degree.

Because of the availability of information on-the-go and our perceived lack of time, formal learning is gradually becoming an endangered species. And I don’t know if we are the ones to preserve it. Modern learners have less time for consumption, so why not embrace that and start serving information in obtainable pieces?

That’s where informal learning comes in. Podcasts, video learning, and interactive infographics seemed like a present, for some even a far future, but it appears that with our consumption habits we started surpassing and demanding for something even more efficient compared to video lectures or podcasts.

Our shortening attention spans, our habit of forgetting stuff, and different expectations towards learning led us to crave for micro learning.

Learner-centered

A learner-centered approach towards information consumption makes learning quick and easily memorable. Pre-made bundles of fundamental knowledge have started closing the gap between formal and informal learning.

The overflow of information is trimmed down to the core message, which one can comprehend ‘on the go’. Information, time and knowledge become aligned.

Solution

Of course, micro learning has enough space for improvement. At the moment, it might seem that micro learning may not always help with long-term performance goals. Also, the learning process can become fragmented and distorted. Some might even argue micro learning and quick knowledge bundles will further deteriorate our ability to concentrate.

But only the time will tell.

Micro learning can become a great solution and enhance individual as well as team performance. On-the-go knowledge is real and if formal won’t adapt informal might sneak in and take over today’s educational system.

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