5.

Discussion (1085 words)

5.1 Induction training

Companies offer induction training for a myriad of reasons, the primary ones being to reduce the
amount of time it takes for new employees to adjust in an organisation and feel more at home
(Ragsdale & Mueller, 2005) and to reach full working capacity (Brodie, 2006; Derven, 2008).
This should allow for a happier workforce, reduced staff attrition and increased productivity.

If induction is a means to “lessen the fear or anxiety experienced by new employees regarding
settling into a job or performance” as stated by Hendricks and Louw-Potgieter (2012, p. 1),
having a average wait time of seven weeks before employees can access this training is
counterproductive. Participants in this research study described feelings of anxiety and
confusion in the time before they were able to access the existing training and voiced
reservations about relying too heavily on already busy colleagues for support during this time.
They welcomed some aspects of the face-to-face training when they did get to attend, primarily
the opportunity to build new relationships, which is highlighted in the literature as a key element
of any induction programme, but they also found that it inundated them with too much
information in a short time frame. This is supported in the literature, which discusses how
induction training often consists of an excess of critical information that employees “cannot
reasonably assimilate in a short period of time” (Caldwell & Caldwell, 2016, p. 51).

The positive responses to the microlearning created for this research would suggest that some
sort of online training offered as part of a blended learning experience in the first week of
employment would be of great value to new employees, bridging the gap before employees can
access face-to-face training thus supporting staff and reducing anxiety. The question remains,
however, as to whether microlearning in particular offers value. This is now considered by
exploring some of the attributes of microlearning as identified in the literature – that it is short
and concise, media-rich and interactive, self contained, self-directed, and happens over time.

5.2 Microlearning
5.2.1 Short, media-rich and interactive
Microlearning, in alignment with the human model of processing information in small
manageable chunks as identified by Sweller (1988) in Cognitive Load Theory, could alleviate
the issue of information overload common in induction training. Indeed, participants were very
positive about the short and focused nature of the microlessons, and the fact that, as a learner,
they knew each lesson would take no more than six minutes to complete before they started.
Even those participants who accessed multiple lessons in one session described them as fun
and engaging, highlighting how the variety of media used and the high level of interactivity
enhanced their learning experience and supported the retention of learning.

This issue of information overload could, however, easily be replicated in microlearning if the
volume of content remains overwhelming for learners, no matter how the design works to
counteract this. It is possible that the participants in the focus group, whose input on content
influenced the plan to create six sections of microlessons, were too far removed from the
experiences of new employees, having been with the organisation for an average of seven
months and therefore having had plenty of time to acquire information. Interview participants,
who had been with the organisation for a shorter time period, cautioned against developing
further content beyond the microlessons already developed. Given the time-bound nature of
induction training it is important to retain focus solely on the essential content required by new
employees in their first weeks with the organisation. Further research could determine which, if
any, of the planned microlessons should be included to most benefit new employees.

Fox (2016) describes how microlearning happens over time and Derven (2008) advocates for
phased implementation of induction training. This would suggest that an induction training
programme where employees are given access to a set number of lessons in the first week and
access broadened to further lessons at a later period, perhaps after a few weeks, might be
effective. However, the question must then be asked, is this still induction training? Induction by
nature is an introductory period and is time limited. It may be more effective to provide only
those lessons that are needed to effectively induct the new employee into the organisation and
then offer further employee information through another channel, for example, the organisation
intranet.

5.2.2 Self directed

In the theory of andragogy, defined as “the art and science of teaching adults” (Knowles, 1980,
p. 43), Knowles’ first assumption about adult learners is that they are self-directing, independent
and responsible for their own learning needs (Jordan, Carlile & Stack, 2008). This concept of
self-direction is highlighted in the literature as a beneficial attribute of microlearning yet, when
presented with the opportunity to self direct, only one of the participants in this study did so, with
the others accessing the lessons sequentially in one session, as they would with a singular
online training resource.

From the findings, it is possible to identify a number of potential reasons for this. The research
shows that new employees have both the motivation and time to learn so it may be that they are
eager to avail of all of the information available or simply have little else to do. Alternatively, it
may be that, as a new employee, they lack either the confidence or the knowledge necessary to
be able identify exactly which lessons they should access. A third possibility is that new
employees lack the confidence to skip lessons, being concerned about appearing disinterested
or unengaged. This lack of self-direction, for whatever reason, supports Allen’s (2006) claim
about the need for fixed and formal induction to avoid uncertainty.

5.2.3 Self contained

All of the participants who took part in the pilot phase of this study said they would return to
specific lessons as required. The fact that microlearning lessons are self-contained would,
therefore, be of great benefit over a singular induction course as individual lessons can be
easily identified and selected for repeat access. If microlessons are organised in a way that
allows learners to access them either sequentially in a logistic order as presented, similar to a
single training course, or easily select the specific lesson they want, this would cater to all
learners, no matter their learning needs or preferences. This would make employees feel more
supported and less anxious in their first weeks of employment, reducing the feeling of being ‘at
sea’. This would be instrumental in supporting employees to quickly adjust to their new role,
which could subsequently increase productivity and staff retention. To enable learners to return
to lessons on demand, they should remain available to employees for the whole of the induction
period and perhaps beyond.

6. Conclusion (845 words)

6.1 Overview of the Research

This research sought to explore the value of introducing online microlearning lessons into the
induction training programme of a not-for-profit organisation in Ireland in an effort to inform
practice and bring about change in the learning experience of new employees. The research
explored the challenges currently experienced by new employees to the organisation and
examined how microlearning might impact on the transition experience.

As colleagues of the researcher, participants in the research may have initially been wary of Formatted: Space After: 8 pt, Line spacing: 1.5 lines

saying anything negative about either the existing face-to-face training or the microlearning
developed, and effort was made to create an environment in the interviews that was conducive
to open communication. Participants were assured of the confidentiality of the information they
were providing and the need for total honesty and transparency.

It is evident from the findings that some sort of online training available from the first week of
employment would add value by bridging the gap until new employees can access face-to-face
training, reducing both information overload and the extent to which new employees have to rely
on their colleagues for support. The research suggests that many attributes of microlearning
outlined in the literature, such as the short, focused nature of lessons and the fact it is media-
rich and highly interactive, enhanced the learning experience of new employees, adding value
by enabling employees to both enjoy the training experience and retain learning. These would
be instrumental in supporting employees to quickly adjust to their new role, which could
subsequently increase productivity and staff retention. Furthermore, while the on-demand and
self-directed nature of microlearning may not have, at first, seemed relevant to this cohort of
learners (who may lack the confidence or knowledge required to direct their own learning),
employees professed an interest in coming back to the training as needed. If the induction
microlearning remains available to learners for a period of time, the fact that they are self
contained, each with single learning objective, would allow learners to easily return to and select
lessons as desired. This would make employees feel more supported and less anxious in their
first weeks of employment, reducing the feeling of being ‘at sea’.

6.2 Recommendations

The action research methodology used in this study allowed for two cycles of research and this
cyclical process will continue beyond the scope of this study. The qualitative data collected thus
far suits the exploratory nature of the study. It is important to remember though that context is of
vital importance in qualitative data, and the social and historical context of each participant in
this study impacted on their experiences, their evaluation of the microlearning and the value
they felt it might bring to other employees. As this study relied on a small number of interviews,
therefore, further research would be required to to conclusively determine whether the design of
microlearning adds more value to the transition experience of new employees than simply
online induction training of any kind.

This research cycle could take the form of another pilot phase, with new employees being given
access to the microlearning developed for this study from their first week of employment. As it is
not possible to measure the impact of the microlearning induction training in a tangible way,
such as through test scores, and it would be unethical to compare the experiences of this group
against a control group of new employees who are not permitted access to the induction
microlearning due to the unfair advantage given to the first group, this research could consist of
interviews with the new employees’ line managers. Interviews with the managers could take
place after a period of time, for example, three months, to examine how quickly and easily
managers felt the new employees settled in to their new work role when compared with previous
employees who had only accessed the face-to-face training.

In an effort to determine what, if any, additional content is required, the second pilot phase
outlined above could also employ a questionnaire distributed to these new employees, again
after three months, with questions about any additional content they think would have been
useful for them to have had. Learning analytics could also be used to monitor which
microlessons were accessed most and least frequently over this period of time, and to track
questions asked through the ‘email a question’ button at the end of each lesson, to determine
any revisions or additions required to content.

A feature identified in both the literature and research findings as of particularly benefit in
induction training is the opportunity to create relationships with new colleagues. A final
recommendation stemming from this research would be to consider the inclusion of a chat
function with the microlearning lessons on the organisation LMS to enable learners to interact
with one another from their first week of employment. Not only would this support relationship-
building, it would also enable social constructivist learning through interaction (Vygotsky, 1978)
as, in talking with others, learners “become better able to articulate their own understandings”
(Ertmer & Newby, 2013, p. 59). The findings show that while other colleagues may not always
have time available to support new employees, these new employees have ample time in their
first few weeks and this could be used to support one another.
Induction training can effectively assimilate and socialise employees into an organisation to
enable them to feel valued, empowered and engaged (Saks & Gruman, 2011). It is
advantageous, therefore, for HR departments to carefully consider the quality of the induction
training they are offering to enable new employees to adjust to their new role and
responsibilities quickly and with confidence.

Allen, D. G. (2006). Do organizational socialization tactics influence newcomer

embeddedness and turnover?. Journal of management, 32(2), 237-256.
Brodie, J.M. (2006). Getting managers on board. Human Resources Magazine,
November, 105–108.
Caldwell, B. G., & Caldwell, C. (2016). Ten Classic Onboarding Errors–Violations of the
HRM-Employee Relationship. Business and Management Research, 5(4), 47.
Derven, M. (2008). Management onboarding. Journal of Training and Development,
April, 49–52.
Ertmer, P., & Newby, T. (2013). Behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism: comparing
critical features from an instructional design perspective. Performance Improvement
Quarterly, 26(2), 43-71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/piq.21143.

Fox, A. (2016). Why Training Fails and What to Change: A Case for Microlearning and
Ongoing Management. Employment Relations Today (Wiley), 43(1), 41–45.
https://doi.org/10.1002/ert.21549
Hendricks, K., & Louw-Potgieter, J. (2012). A theory evaluation of an induction
programme. SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 10(3), 9-pages.
Jordan, A., Carlile, O., & Stack, A. (2008). Approaches to learning. Maidenhead: Open
University Press
Knowles, M. (1980). The modern practice of adult education (Revised Ed.). Englewood
Cliffs, CA: Prentice Hall Regents.
Ragsdale, M.A., & Mueller, J. (2005). Plan, do, study, act model to improve an
orientation programme. Journal of Nursing Care Quality, 20, 268–272.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1097/00001786-200507000-00013, PMid:15965393
Sweller, J. (1988). Cognitive load during problem solving: Effects on learning. Cognitive
science, 12(2), 257-285. doi:10.1207/s15516709cog1202_4.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Social development theory. Instructional Design.