Microlearning Ideal for Just-in-Time Training

Nearly 90% of Americans go online regularly, and 77% actively use smartphones. That makes mobile devices the latest ally in adult learning.

For the construction industry, workers in the field increasingly rely on mobile data to learn new skills, manage workflow, and increase productivity. In JBKnowledge’s 2017 Construction Technology Report, 83% of survey respondents said mobile capabilities are either important or very important to their construction businesses.

A key area of growth for mobile device use is videos. Research company Statista reports that 50% of U.S. internet users watch online videos each day.  Statista also says that by 2020 the number of digital video viewers in the United States will grow to more than 236 million and the number of U.S. mobile phone video viewers will reach 179 million.

During the first quarter of 2017, Statista found that 18- to 24-year-old smartphone users watched an average of 83 min. of video on mobile devices per week. Also, 25- to 34-year-olds watched 69 minutes of video per week, and 35- to 49-year-olds watched 59 minutes.

As a learning and development provider, SkillPath keeps a close eye on how technology is being used in a variety of industries. Market trends tell us how to best deliver training to a broad range of users. Our research shows clearly that video is an effective way to reach a widespread audience, and that how-to videos are excellent training tools.

In this article, featured in Crane Hot Line's September 2018 issue, Dave Fogleman, chief learning officer for SkillPath, shares how short bursts of content, or microlearning, can be used to train the crane and rigging industry.