Millennials Learning Styles
Millennials are the generation of people born between the 1980s and 2000. They are also referred to as generation Y. they are well versed in the use of technology and social media. This group has technology as a part of their life. Therefore, creating a training program that uses technology is vital for its success.
Millennials love learning but the traditional training ways do not reflect their expectations. This explains why they get bored easily and opt out of training. Millennial learners respond to problems differently hence adaption of an evolved learning system is paramount to their training success.
How do millennial learners learn?
Research-based methods
Millennial learners prefer a learning style that caters to their auditory, visual and kinesthetic needs. Since their attention span is short they need training material that is interesting and engaging. Group-based learning style works for them since it involves a lot of collaborative research.
Relevance
Millennial learners prefer learning styles that show the relevance of the training material in their daily life. They prefer googling to authenticate the relevance of the material. They succeed in hands-on training which involves assimilation of new knowledge and direct application. As a trainer, your goal is to provide them with training material that proves its relevance in their life.
Rapport
Millennial learners were brought up with full attention from their siblings and parents. They prefer a learning style that builds a personal relationship between them and the trainer. As a trainer, you should show interest in their training and achievement goals.
Relaxed
They prefer a learning style that is laid back. The learning environment ought to be with little to no pressure, offers more freedom to complete assignments and express their views and creativity freely. A trainer ought to come up with a training strategy that is warm and collaborative.
Rationale
Unlike generation X, millennial learners were brought up in a less authoritative environment. This is an environment where their decisions were justified. A learning style that gives room expression and acceptance of ideas prove to be beneficial for this group. They are more likely to respond positively to such a learning style.
This generation prefers the above learning styles. They should be relaxed, build rapport, relevant and research-based. So, how do you make sure that the learning material is impactful to millennial learners?
The training material ought to be:
Brief and attractive
Millennial learners prefer bite-sized training material. The material should also be built attention. It should mirror their expectation. For example, it should be beautiful and the learning platforms should be well designed.
Accessible and agile
Training should be mobile for it to prove its effectiveness. It should be agile enough to fit into their daily employment life. It should not interfere with their responsibilities but rather should be accessed when needed.
Instant
Millennial learners prefer instant information. For example, they use Google maps to get instant information on traffic. They turn to their devices to get answers on urgent problems. Your training strategy should mirror this. The learners should be in a position to access information instantly.
Bottom line
Millennial learners have proved to be different from their generation X predecessors. Their learning styles are more personal based rather than institutional based. They prefer styles that build a personal relationship between them and the trainer and a style that gives them the freedom to air their views and show their creativity.
