If you’re a trainer, particularly in the diversity, equity, and inclusion space, you’ve likely experienced learners arriving at a training session with different levels of awareness, knowledge, and experience. about your topic. This disparate exposure makes engaging everyone difficult and may even cause the training session to veer into unplanned territory. Perhaps you’ve spent time providing foundational knowledge for some participants, while others with more experience wait to dive into deeper content. How can trainers make the most effective use of synchronous learning time?
Educators solved the issue of synchronous engagement challenges in their classrooms by “flipping” them. The flipped classroom model provides students with needed content knowledge and preparation prior to entering the classroom space. This means students are entering the classroom with similar foundational knowledge, which leaves class time open for active learning opportunities that truly challenge and engage all students. Some of the benefits of the flipped classroom include:
- Self-paced learning
- Self-motivated learning
- Prolonged engagement and focus on material
- Deeper learning of content
- Increased retention of the material
The flipped classroom model has been praised for its effectiveness.
Trainers can enjoy the same benefits by flipping their training sessions, providing preliminary information that will be useful to know going into a session before the training begins. One easy and effective way to this, while minimizing the time commitment for busy employees, is by using off-the-shelf microlearning courses.
Microlearning is an approach to skill development that delivers content in short, instructive chunks, providing the right amount of information at exactly the right moment. Microlearning uses succinct and specific learning objectives, engaging learners and reducing the mental fatigue caused by longer lessons. Learners can finish an experience quickly, grasp the key concepts, and then choose to either take a break or immediately apply what they’ve learned. Microlearning keeps engagement levels high and increases knowledge retention. When appropriate, microlearning courses are assigned prior to a training session and participants can enter a session ready to engage in deeper discussion. Win!
ansrsource has some amazing microlearning content spanning topics such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, empathy, compliance, social justice, belonging, and more, all available through the GranuLearn™ app.
Let me share three examples where I flipped my training sessions and saw a dramatic improvement in engagement. The microlearning content I used in these instances came from ansrsource’s GEMTM library, which includes content spanning topics such as critical thinking, emotional intelligence, empathy, compliance, social justice, belonging, and more.
- I worked with a university department to help their search committee minimize bias during the search process. We utilized a 3-part microlearning series on conducting an inclusive search process to lay foundational knowledge—Inclusive Recruitment, Conducting an Inclusive Interview Process, and Inclusive Onboarding and Retention. Search committee members took each of the microlearning courses prior to a search committee meeting, so they arrived with an understanding of the process and tools to minimize their bias, and we spent our time discussing their strategies for a successful search.
- I was contracted to facilitate Safe Zone training for faculty and staff at a community college. I used a microlearning course called GayBCs of the LGBTQI+ Acronym in advance of our training, so attendees had an opportunity to learn common terms and definitions, as well as the difference between gender, sex, and sexual orientation prior to the training. This meant that we were able to target larger concepts and process critical questions during our time together.
- During a conference presentation on creating inclusive climates for transgender and nonbinary employees, attendees were invited to take a Gender Diversity in the Workplace microlearning course prior to the conference session. The microlearning course provided foundational knowledge on terminology related to transgender and nonbinary people and techniques to correctly use people’s pronouns. This meant our limited conference time was not spent providing foundational knowledge, and we were able to have a much richer discussion to strategize creating more inclusive spaces.
These microlearning courses helped keep the training sessions from being derailed as attendees had a common understanding when they arrived to the session. I’ve seen firsthand how powerful it can be to flip a training session by utilizing microlearning courses, opening space for better engagement and deeper discussions.
Join me in taking your training sessions to the next level!
