Cultivating new skills is an important part of professional development but often a lack of time is perceived as one of the biggest barriers to workplace learning. What’s interesting is that, without even knowing it, we all seek out new information to help us achieve our goals. Whether it’s turning to a colleague for advice, searching the internet, or using the resources at our disposal – we naturally learn ‘in the moment’.  

Learning in the moment provides people with the content and information needed to perform tasks successfully – at the time they need it. For Learning & Development teams looking to nurture this approach, it means stepping away from the traditional ‘push’ learning structure, where decisions are made for learners. Instead, learning becomes a more natural part of the job and people are encouraged to be proactive about their personal development. Identifying and meeting their own development needs, so they can perform at their best. At AstraZeneca, we encourage all our employees to think differently about how they learn, and to recognise and act on those everyday ‘learning moments’ that shape sustained growth. 

Increasing learner engagement 

While we all learn in different ways, when it comes to retaining knowledge, breaking information down into smaller chunks, sometimes referred to as ‘microlearning’, can make the process more manageable. Research by Hermann Ebbinghaus in the 1800’s showed that when people take in large amounts of information, their ability to recall it tends to reduce over time. He pioneered the ‘forgetting curve’ which illustrates how much information the brain can retain over time and how quickly people forget the new knowledge they have acquired. According to Ebbinghaus we typically we lose up to 90% of the knowledge we learn within a month. 

This makes the microlearning approach ideal for supporting learning in the moment. By breaking down new information into smaller pieces, learners can guide themselves through the content at their own pace, and in their own time. This could take the form of a short 3-5-minute video, a quiz, practical on-the-job learning or a scrolling page that allows people to access all the information they need on a particular topic. It’s a ‘little and often’ method to learning that can help people to process, understand and retain information better. 

The personalised nature of microlearning content also makes it ideal for self-directed learning, as it’s often highly visual and engaging which means learners can fit sessions into their day whenever it suits them best. This gives people the opportunity to recognise and take ownership of any skillset shortages they may have and address them quickly and efficiently. 

Supporting in the moment learning with technology 

A great learning experience requires great learning technology that allows for learning in the moment, anywhere, on any device. For employees, this is a platform that delivers a learner-centric experience and provides autonomy. We have seen the demand for personalised learning increase and today’s learners want modern technologies that provide easy to use, convenient and curated experiences, that focus on individual needs. 

With the right technology and a variety of content, the learning experience is almost invisible to the learner as it becomes a natural element of their working day. This is incredibly valuable for organisations looking to help their people embrace a ‘learning mindset’. Continuous and engaging learning experiences help to foster a life-long learning and development culture, that empowers individuals and teams to continuously reskill, upskill and innovate. Instilling a learning mindset helps people to proactively respond to challenges, meaning that, collectively, the organisation can successfully adapt, innovate and respond to new and unprecedented challenges in today’s fast-changing world.  

Fostering a lifelong learning culture 

The ever-changing nature of work means that we need to learn, grow and evolve continuously throughout our careers. Technology should make learning easy and accessible and give people the power and flexibility to learn in their own way. At AstraZeneca, our recent learning transformation highlighted the need for scalable, adaptable and centralised technologies that support our objective of being a high-performance learning organisation.  

For most organisations, offering microlearning content alongside other training formats will allow their people to find a way of learning that works for them. So, rather than having to conform to a rigid, structured course of learning, learners can find personalised and flexible development opportunities in day-to-day microlearning.  

Ultimately, when employees strive for continuous performance development and embrace a learning mindset, they have the chance to constantly grow their abilities, skills and knowledge to reach their full potential. Learning and development teams can then use learning in the moment to encourage a continuous learning culture across the organisation. Which in turn helps to foster a culture of lifelong learning that can help people develop a curious mindset and embrace the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.