What is flexible learning and why is it crucial for employees in 2024?
As a society we expect everything to be flexible and at our fingertips. If we aren’t home to watch our favourite programme we expect to be able to watch it at a more convenient time which suits our schedule. If we can’t return an item we expect to be able to send it back at a later date when it is convenient for us to do so. A lot of employers now offer flexible work schedules to fit around outside commitments. In fact, 4.1 million people in the UK were offered flexible working arrangements at the end of 2019. We now live incredibly flexible lifestyles where services fit around us rather than the other way round.
With this in mind, it seems strange that learning methods in a lot of workplaces haven’t kept up. You will still find employees being given large handbooks to read, or long training courses to complete which take hours to finish. These present employees with a large chunk of learning to get on with which is unengaging, inflexible and difficult to digest.
So what exactly is flexible learning in the workplace?
Flexible learning is a term used to describe learning which is presented in a variety of different ways. It is when employees are offered different methods to boost their knowledge so that they can find a style of learning which suits them best. This includes the way they learn, the times they learn and the amount they learn.
Flexible learning should offer your employees the opportunity to jump in and out of training programmes when it suits them. Hour long LMS courses which are rigid in their structure offer little flexibility to your employees making them less likely to complete the training course.
Why is flexible learning crucial for 2024 and beyond?
As we all know, Covid-19 has shifted working patterns for good. A study from the British Council for Offices (BCO) has found that only 30% of employees are considering returning to the office for five days per week and 15% are now intending to work from home forever. A much more blended approach to work has now been adopted with the majority of employees now working from home for two to three days out of their working week.
Because people are taking such a flexible approach to their work commitments, it's fundamental that learning methods keep up too. Offering learning which is personalised to each employee will be crucial for success as working from home comes with its own set of challenges. These include engagement, concentration and commitment. There is no one there to tell you to learn or to motivate you to keep going. This is why you must develop different learning options which suit each employee's individual learning style.
What are the different types of learning methods for employees?
When considering offering more flexible learning options to your employees you need to know the different types of methods which are usually most popular. Below is our list of recommended training techniques which your employees may like to try to fit with their individual learning style.
Microlearning
This flexible learning option helps employees easily digest information in a matter of minutes. You give learners small learning modules which should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete. Using this strategy means that employees will learn more regularly. Software Advice states that 58% of employees have said that they would be much more likely to use learning tools if they were divided into short segments. Because the information is given in short bursts it makes it easier for employees to retain the information which they have learnt rather than trying to digest hours of information in one sitting. This is perfect for those employees who find it difficult to concentrate or ones that have a short memory span.
Most microlearning platforms allow employees to jump in and out of training courses making it easy for them to stop and start their learning around other commitments.
Gamification
This is technically another form of microlearning but delivered in a much more engaging format. Gamification is flexible and fun turning your training into a game where employees are rewarded for their hard work. You can split your learning into different stages meaning that employees have to get a certain amount of answers right before they can progress onto the next level. When you do this, you light up the reward pathway in the brain, which releases dopamine (the feel-good chemical), and this is what will keep your learners coming back for more.
This gamified option offers flexibility to your learners because it's quick and easy. Perfect for those employees that are always rushed for time or that find it hard to concentrate when working from home.
Videos
According to Forrester Research, employees are 75% more likely to watch a video than to read training content. This is great to know considering that video isn't just easy to watch it's incredibly effective as a flexible learning option too. People remember 20% of what they read compared to 80% of what they see and do. This is why memory retention is so much better after watching a video.
Classroom training
Some employees may prefer classroom training as a flexible learning option. Of course, this may be more challenging due to the pandemic but most face to face trainers are offering their sessions online. With this option, employees can listen and write notes. It also allows them to gain a richer understanding of a subject and enables them to ask questions and highlight any areas which they are struggling with.
Classroom training works best when it is coupled with microlearning. This is so you can reinforce the knowledge learnt in short bursts in between the face to face sessions.
Audio learning
Your workforce may prefer this style of training because they are better at retaining information which they hear. It is very flexible because it allows your learners to carry out other tasks whilst they are learning at the same time.
Podcasts are perfect for this, they are informative and engaging and your employees can listen to them at any time; on their commute to or from work on their lunch break or whilst they go are going through their admin. Our employee knowledge platform makes it easy to imbed podcasts in your training materials.
Action-based learning
This kinesthetic style of learning is for those employees that learn by actually doing things. So instead of reading about how to load the till receipt, they like to do it for themselves. To facilitate this type of flexible learning you should attach tasks to your learning materials as opposed to questions.
For example, if you published an article about your new till system, users could either complete the learning questions which would test their knowledge or employees could be asked to use the new till system and complete a transaction.
How to keep flexible learning on track and stay on top of progress
With all of these different flexible learning options available, it can all seem a little overwhelming. It can be easy to start worrying about how you're going to stay on top of progress and ensure that employees are actually improving their knowledge.
There is a simple solution to this.
Step one - Release your training material in the various formats e.g. podcasts, videos, presentation, microlearning etc.
Step two - Give your employees a timeframe in which they have to learn the information. They can learn morning or night and in whichever format they wish but they have to have learnt the information within the seven day period.
For example, you might say "All employees have to learn about the new cleaning procedure within seven days. The method in which you learn this information is up to you. After the seven day period is up you will be sent out a questionnaire to test your knowledge."
Step three - Send out a questionnaire which tests your employee's knowledge on the particular topic. This gives your employees a deadline to work towards ensuring that they complete the training and it allows you to see which methods are most effective. You can do this by asking each employee to write down which learning method they chose to use.
Flexible learning is all about empowering your workforce to train in the way which suits them best. When you do this, you will see higher engagement levels, improved customer service and more confident employees. There has never been a better time to implement your flexible learning strategy, so start yours today.
If you need help with your strategy or are looking for a digital flexible learning solution then please get in touch below.
