A reality that many employees face is that the company has already invested in a LMS, or platform, like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, etc., and that’s where the training resides. Consequently, employees must work with the chosen corporate platform in order to upskill, reskill, or learn new material. There’s a gap!

This distance between the Learning Management System (LMS) and the learner is the Organizational Learning Gap (OLG). We need to bridge this gap.

Employees may be really interested in the topic, but they can’t get through the material because the nature of the training doesn’t fit their learning preferences or talents. Consequently, they get bored. The worst thing someone can do is to sit there and endure a boring course without learning anything from it. That’s a complete waste of their time. What does an employee do when they are faced with that situation?

Tackle the Course in Small Chunks

One option is to chunk information into five or 10 minute pieces. For example, you turn on the learning management system course and:

1. You start to watch it,
2. Maybe you read the agenda and the syllabus,
3. You have the option of reading the full text,
4. Or the option to listen to it (unless that puts you to sleep).
5. Watch the video for no more than 10 minutes. In that time, look for a nugget of information. Something that you didn’t know. Something that might pique your curiosity.

Now you’ve got a nugget.

Expand Your Understanding of the Nugget with Online Resources

Here’s another secret to successfully bridging the OLG: There’s absolutely no reason why you have to stick with that platform and acquire all the learning from just one source!

Find the information you’re looking for by digging deeper to discover more interesting presentations of the knowledge you’re trying to acquire. The process of looking for more information solidifies your understanding of the nugget. With the availability of Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), platforms like iTunes University, multiple “how to” and informational videos on YouTube, Vimeo, and other video platforms, there are many sources to choose from.

Look for the Helpers in Your Corporate Neighborhood

Mr. Rogers used to introduce the people in his “neighborhood” to teach kids about different professions and how they relate to a kids’ world. We’ve all grown up, but looking for help from our “neighbors” within the company is still a great way to tap into valuable resources.

There are people who love to provide information to others because it’s fulfilling and satisfying to them. And there is almost always another way to learn.

Consider finding someone you work with who has the skill set that you’re trying to acquire. Ask them to show you how that chunk of information works for them. How do they use the information? Have them explain it to you in a way that is more meaningful to the work that you’re actually doing, or want to do.

Most people are willing, if you can be flexible with the timing, and gracious with how you request information. The key is being respectful of that person’s time and energy and actually showing that you are going to act on what they teach you so as not to waste their time.

Here’s an example: I asked one of my colleagues, who is known to be a non-traditional learner, how he went about learning in the workplace. He said, “I seek out someone in the organization who has the skill I need. And I ask them three things:

• to explain what I need to know,
• to show me how to do it,
• and to share their acquired insight.

Take the Next Step Back to the Beginning

Now that you have built upon that nugget of information, you can return to the LMS with a deeper understanding of what you’re trying to learn.
It’s time to go back to the material and get the next nugget of information.

1. Go back to the learning platform and listen to another 5 to 10 minutes of the content.
2. Ask a question of the material. Think of something you might be curious about, how you might take the information further, or where would you go to get a better understanding,
3. Take it upon yourself to go find more information, just as you did with the first chunk.

Don’t be a passive learner held victim by the boring platitudes that are coming from the robotic voice on the screen. Choose the other option and find a nugget that you’re curious about. Take charge of your learning.

With this approach, you will learn what the platform is teaching, and you will go beyond, learning even more in a way that’s based on your interest, your curiosity, and your learning preferences.

Now you’ve got the right tools to learn successfully, break out of ineffective learning patterns, and bridge the organizational learning gap.

References:
Michael Allen, “Training: An Awesome Responsibility”, Training Magazine, trainingmag.com/trgmag-article/training-awesome-responsibility/

Massive Open Online Courses – http://mooc.org/

The post How To Learn Depressingly Boring Information: Your LMS is Not Enough appeared first on Susan Fitzell.

Not too long ago,  I was interviewing a student who was struggling in all of his classes. His behavior was disruptive and, consequently, he was frequently removed from class. I was brought in to review his files and create a complete profile and recommendations. After striking up a conversation with this young man, I told him that I would be talking with his teachers. I asked, “If there was one thing that you’d want me to tell your teachers, something that might help you, what would it be?”

Without hesitation he replied, “Teachers need to draw pictures more.” I asked him to elaborate. He explained, “Yesterday, my science teacher was teaching about waste treatment plants. She talked and talked and talked. It was so boring and hard to understand. If I were her, I would have drawn a picture of what she was describing on the board.” He then took a paper and pencil and drew a diagram for me. He slid it across the table to me and explained what he drew. “That’s what I wish she’d do. It would really help me to understand better.”

I was in awe at his forthrightness and ability to immediately tell me what he needed from his teachers. I did share that information with them and when I returned six weeks later, they said he was a totally different kid. I asked what was different. They smiled and said, “We are drawing and using more pictures.”

The Feedback Box

So, how can we provide a safe way for students to share how they learn best?
Have a “Feedback Box.” Tell students, no matter their age, “Anytime I use a strategy in a way that you believe it helps you to learn, write me a little note telling me what worked and put it in the Feedback Box.” For example, “Drawing pictures in class today really helped me to learn, Mrs. Fitzell.” “Singing that song helped me to remember that formula.” With this type of feedback, I was able to better understand how to help individual students learn.

Don’t stop with your classroom

Tell students, “If you go to another classroom and work with another teacher, or if you do something at home that helps you to learn, put that in the feedback box, too!

What we end up with is powerful feedback from students about their learning style that we might never get any other way. It gives us a little bit more information to use in our classrooms.

Parents Benefit from the Feedback Box Too!

Parents could also implement the “Feedback Box” at home. How often do parents ask, “What did you learn in school today?” and the reply is, “Nothing.” Encourage youth to write what they learned (or their favorite learning activity) down on a sticky note and put it in the Feedback Box.

For more information about study strategies for your student, see Susan Fitzell’s book, Ummm, Studying? What’s That?. Available in both print and electronic versions!

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