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Philip Barrington- The benefit is that he will be able to quickly access the necessary information and present the information to the client in a concise manner. The problem is that he might not fully grasp the information and may struggle to explain the concept if he has not interacted with the material prior to the presentation.

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Philip Barrington

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( Aggie Woodworth) I think microlearning in an important tool in jobs with high employee turn over rate. I know a consultant who was chatting with a restaurant about turning their menu recipes into micro learning situations using HP reveal and augmented reality app. How it would work, the cook could hold their phone over a recipe and a quick 1-2 minute video would pop up.

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Lori Jones

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I think micro learning probably helped the sales person to a degree. They could quickly spout key features but any in depth questioning or need for application of the machine's use would be outside the scope of the micro learning and likely lead to the salesperson looking very uniformed.

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Dear all,

Thank you for your valuable contributions to this discussion! It is clear that there are very thought-provoking ideas to consider when engaging with microlearning such as distributed practice, cognitive load, microlearning for & within customer interactions, and of course age and learning profile. Your insights have also encouraged me to think of new ways on how to use microlearning so thank you for that!

I would also like to mention that although in this scenario, microlearning is implied here as a video or online 'module'; microlearning can take various forms such as infographics, poems, brochures, and so forth, making it a varied and diverse form of learning.

Hope you are all enjoying the content for the week!
Sarah

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By Henna Patel:

My question regarding this particular case is, does cramming qualify as learning? This kind of point of need access microlearning often  feels like cramming to me. That is until the information is put into action. That said, having worked with many salespeople, they can be an efficient and resourceful bunch and this module may be just what he needs to establish a good working relationship with a new prospect. In this sense the module would have suited the function  – which is to develop the lead. Others have accurately pointed out that he may not be able to effectively answer trouble shooting questions, or very technical queries. But if the module was truly intended to empower salespeople, it would give him enough to work with on the call. Ideally, this module would have beeb accessed in close proximity to exposure to the equipment to give the salesperson tactical picture of his subject. There really are many other questions, such as age, technical ability, experience, type of content in the leaning module – that all play a part in the efficacy of the micro learning in this context. Overall, I think the advantages outweigh any disadvantages. He certainly has more information about the equipment at the end of the module than he did before he accessed it.

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Scott Skanes - As many have mentioned, context is key. To focus on the module itself, it;s great that it exists and he feels it's bridging his knowledge gap but there is no explanation of how the module itself is designed, what is the breadth and/or depth of the content, what advantages of microlearning have been leveraged, whether assessment/review tools are provided, and how (or whether) the content relates to prior knowledge of the salesman. One challenge to relying on microlearning is the metacognitive aspects; to be cognizant of your own learning throughout the process. The quick-chunk nature of these approaches have a tendency to make learners feel like they are learning things when really there are just storing information in short-term memory. If the presentation is extremely soon after his study session(s) that may be enough, but he should work more extensively with the information in order to lock it into long-term memory. All the best microlearning apps ensure that new content is mixed seamlessly with reviews of "old" content, to ensure that old skills and knowledge are not lost. We have no way of knowing that this module is doing so without more context. That said, if it comes down to sweating it out about a presentation about a product you are unfamiliar with, and taking advantage of a microlearning module to learn something, ANYTHING to help... the latter the certainly preferable! I just think it's important to note that just because you feel like you've learned something by being exposed to it doesn't mean you'll remember it soon afterwards.

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(Chris Wong) I think that this would be a good use of micro-learning.  As a sales person, I imagine that he/she would have experience in selling to a variety of customers.  A micro-learning module would give the sales person additional information about the product which he/she could then customize to the client.  I do wonder how a micro learning module would differ significantly from reading a product information brochure or a product information page on the company website.  Are there quizzes to check for understanding?  Does one part of the micro-lesson focus on how to connect the product's qualities with the customer's needs?

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From Reg Surette
Potential Challenges
First of all, this scenario lacks information about the audience the salesperson will be meeting. Is the the ‘prospect’ familiar with the product line already? Do they require a full scale introduction and demonstration? If so, the microlearning may not meet the needs of the client, and we may be sending in our salesperson unprepared.

Another problem with this scenario is the lack of practical training application. The knowledge
gap may be bridged with product characteristics, but there’s no mechanism to be able to respond
to questions about practical application unless the salesperson can apply previous knowledge on
existing systems to this new equipment. Without practical training, I question the expertise able
to be presented by the salesperson – he might lose a sale as a result!

Benefits
One benefit is the ‘anytime, anywhere’ simple content access, which clearly caters to the
salesperson lifestyle of being on the go. The knowledge gained in this scenario is certainly better
than going into the sales pitch without this information, as they may require product
differentiation characteristics from their previous line of products.

Another benefit may be the nature of the situation: the salesperson is rushed, unable to prepare
properly, so the microlearning content is easily consumed in a relatively short amount of time,
allowing some applicability toward the sales pitch.
After some web research, I found an interesting case study on a very similar situation:
https://axonify.com/customer-stories/ethicon/ (pdf here:
https://content.cdntwrk.com/files/aT04MDQwNTEmdj0zJmlzc3VlTmFtZT1ldGhpY29uLWNhc
2Utc3R1ZHkmY21kPWQmc2lnPTAxOGNhMzViZGM0ODI5YjkxYjNkNzhiOTYzMzFiYzhj)
Ethicon, a Johnson&amp;Johnson company, used microlearning to increase specific product
knowledge for sales purposes, with resounding success. Participation was 90% voluntary, and
improved product knowledge by 49%. They created 3-5 minute training “bursts” that can be
accessed anywhere where they can learn about medical products are even surgical procedure
details on the fly.

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(Katie Cowen) In this particular scenario, the sales rep would likely have a lot of background information on the latest equipment and be able to present it quite well. The micro learning modules on the latest equipment will quickly tell him the main features of each piece of equipment; it will likely not tell him other very important information like how the equipment is different from its main competitors (affordability, warranty, popularity, safety etc...). The modules also won't be able to inform him about the possible scenarios that the prospect asks. Being a sales rep and having to sell a product, its key to know everything about that product so you are confident and ready to respond to any possible questions or scenarios posed. Microlearning is a great tool for quick facts, but as for a sales rep, knowing the market inside and out by doing hours of market research as well as "studying" each new products' features, is key to success in this case. Unfortunately, micro learning wouldn't cut it in this scenario.

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Heeweon Joo: I do think microlearning in this case definitely has benefits. With salesperson having little knowledge before hand and the time constraint he or she has, it won't be possible to do a research on the product. However, with microlearning, the salesperson will be able to get the key ideas of the product that he or she can share with the prospect. However, there are also disadvantage of micro learning might being too short to learn all the components of the product. This might become a problem when the salesperson is asked a specific question on the product by the prospect. As a representative of a company, a sales-rep that cannot answer a question about the product might have negative impact on the overall image of a company.

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By Dustin Hyde: I think a key contextual piece of information that is missing in this scenario is the learning profile and perhaps age of the individual.  According to Hanshaw (2018), age and learning profile are key factors in deterring the success of micro learning (Hanshaw, 2018). In a mixed method study focusing on the user preference and effectiveness of micro learning, Hanshaw and Hanson found that baby boomers "were limited in their experience of and challenged by new technologies" (pp. 16).  This is important information when considering the scenario.  Is the sales rep an individual that is confident with mobile technology (perhaps a millennial) and able to adequately navigate the micro learning app to better understand the product, or is this an individual (perhaps a Baby Boomer) that wants to learn about the product by pouring through a product manual. In theory, a micro learning module would provide the most efficient form of learning in a media rich format offering a variety of Web 2.0 features to make the learning engaging, memorable, and simple to understand.  That said, depending upon the sales rep, that may or may not be preferred model.  The other factor that has already been explored is time.  How much time does the individual have to learn the intricacies of the product?  Is there time for multiple reviews of the microleanring module?  Can the sales rep learn the material and then have the time to build themselves a sales pitch presentation, or have important notes, stats, how to, product features lists etc.  Time is another important key factor.  In order to make a solid pitch, intricate knowledge of product is essential, and so too is a well prepared, organized, pitch. Hanshaw, G,. (2018) A Mixed Methods Study of Leaders' Perceptions of Microlearning for Professional Development on the Job.  International Jounral of Learning and Development.  Vol. 8. No 3. Retrieved from: http://www.macrothink.org/journal/index.php/ijld/article/view/13198/10655

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Harshita Rathore: In this case, the sales person is just brushing up the knowledge gap, assuming that he might be aware of the the background knowledge about the product. Micro learning could be a good tool for bridging the gap by bit sized information. However, since it is not detailed, he might miss on some key information which adds to a better understanding of the product's features. Also, he will be delivering the presentation in a different country, that means he will be representing his company and will need in-depth knowledge of the product to answer unexpected questions. Micro learning module might not be able to provide him complete detailed information about the product.

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By Adam Brody:  Depending on how much information needs to be absorbed a microlearning module may help this sales rep process more specified information into long term memory.  If the modules were presented in a video format it would important to take into consideration the ‘Cognitive Load,’ in which the information gathered from sensory memory and processed into working memory.  Naturally the longer a video is in length the less engaged the sales rep will become and thus less information will not be processed into working memory (Brame, 2015).  A study performed by Guo, Kim and Robin (2014) observed that the median engagement time for videos less than six minutes was close to 100%.  Assuming that the information needed could be obtained in short video segments mircrolearning would prove to be beneficial.  However, the sales rep might also find himself with problems if there is too much information to absorb.
Brame, C.J. (2015). Effective educational videos. Retrieved [todaysdate] from http://cft.vanderbilt.edu/guides-sub-pages/effective-educational-videos/.

Guo PJ, Kim J, and Robin R (2014). How video production affects student engagement: An empirical study of MOOC videos. ACM Conference on Learning at Scale (L@S 2014); found at http://groups.csail.mit.edu/uid/other-pubs/las2014-pguo-engagement.pdf.

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(Kate Quinn) The salesperson will likely be able to present the unique features of the equipment well. However, that person may be unable to answer scenarios posed by the audience: ‘What happens when ...’ ‘Could you tell us how this compares to what we’re currently using ...’ Being able to answer such questions would require in-depth knowledge on the part of the presenter and may be the difference between a successful implementation, or sale.

It seems the timing of the learning is key. Though timing is close to the presentation (the salesperson’s waiting at the airport presumably to go to his presentation), it would be prudent for that student to study the module again. This is the idea of distributed practice: Generally, the longer the amount of time elapsed between study sessions, the longer the information is retained [...] As educators, we are concerned with long-term memory and therefore should promote distributed practice’ (pp. 15-16). In this case, the microlearning is a valuable tool to deliver just-in-time, just-enough learning to the salesperson; however, that salesperson, as a student, would benefit from revisiting the material again in order to cement their learning. Cramming through microlearning, be it in the world of business or the world of academia, will likely only yield short-term solutions; instructional designers should take note of distributed practice and build that into lesson completion or achievement.

Devers, J. C., Devers, E. E., & Oke, L. D. (2018). Encouraging metacognition in digital learning environments. In D. Ifenthaler (Ed.), Digital workplace learning: Bridging formal and informal learning with digital technologies (pp. 9-22). Springer International Publishing AG. Retrieved from https://link-springer-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/book/10.1007%2F978-3-319-46215-8

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Group Scenario:

A salesperson of a power-generation equipment manufacturer needs to deliver a presentation to a prospect based in another country. The sales rep, who was busy with his work, could not brush up his knowledge of the company’s latest equipment. He accesses a microlearning module that explains the unique features of the machinery while waiting at the airport, and this helps him bridge the knowledge gap.