Event recap: 5 Moments of Need webinar by Xprtise & Bob Mosher
On 10 June, our partner Xprtise (opens in new tab), a specialist in workplace learning solutions, hosted a 5 Moments of Need webinar featuring Bob Mosher. They also showcased a case in which Drillster is integrated into the Xprtise learning solution. The audience consisted mainly of L&D professionals and instructional designers. Naturally, we tuned in to capture the highlights.
An exciting time
Bob Mosher opened by observing that we are living through an exciting moment. Not only in the difficult sense—because of the pandemic—but also in a positive way. Lockdowns across the globe forced organisations to move their business online at speed. Digital transformation accelerated, and remote work moved into the fast lane. We work from our kitchen tables, host virtual drinks via Zoom, join online escape rooms, and we learn digitally. This wave of digitalisation makes the current era particularly interesting for L&D professionals. It is the perfect time to revisit the 5 Moments of Need methodology (5MoN).
The 5MoN
Bob Mosher developed the 5MoN methodology together with Conrad Gottfredson. The model is designed to boost employee performance. It defines five moments when people have a learning need:
Meet these five learning moments, and you can lift employee performance.
Effectiveness versus reality
After a brief explanation, Mosher asked the attendees a series of questions, including which learning approach they had personally found most effective from the following list:
The winners were "on-the-job training" and "trial and error in the workflow". However, the methods that typically receive the most attention from instructional designers are "instructor-led classroom" and "virtual classroom". In other words, the approaches that consume the most time and budget are not the ones we experience as most effective.
We acquire a large part of our knowledge and experience in the workplace (70-20-10 model, anyone?). That is a given—yet still underused. Too often, organisations assume that a book or classroom session will solve performance gaps. And even teams that aim to innovate do not always deliver on that ambition. Instead of handing out a book, they present employees with a 100+ slide deck. Is that really innovation, or just shuffling content without improving the learning experience or its effectiveness? We need to break away from traditional methods and focus on what genuinely works.
Theory put into practice
Mosher used a vivid example: scuba diving. There is a book that claims it can teach you how to dive. Read it on the plane to Australia and you will be ready to jump into the ocean on arrival. Right?
Of course not. We all know it takes more than theory, yet similar situations still occur all too often. With diving, it is obvious that you have to practise, experience, and do. So why do we keep assuming that reading about a skill or attending a lecture automatically means perfect execution afterwards? Practical experience and workplace learning are vital parts of the process. Know, understand, apply. And apply the right knowledge at the right moment. That is performance support. Xprtise's tool based on the 5MoN, AskDelphi (opens in new tab), does exactly that.
Not only on the job
At the other extreme, imagine putting a pilot with zero theoretical knowledge straight into an aircraft. "Good luck, learn on the job!" That is not the goal either. Striking the right balance between upfront knowledge, workplace learning, and evaluation—tailored to the organisation, the situation, or even the individual—is essential.
That is where Drillster enters the picture. Sometimes you simply need foundational knowledge before you can start. In particular, critical information—what you must know to work safely, efficiently, and successfully—has to be trained in the most effective way. Drillster is ideal for maintaining and safeguarding knowledge, updating it, building the right skills, and learning from scenarios. Weave it into your overall learning programme for the best results.
Here is how the Drillster methodology works.
Drillster and Xprtise are partners for good reason. The two learning solutions complement each other perfectly. Combine Drillster's adaptive knowledge retention with Xprtise's performance support platform and you are on the right track. Effective learning leads to higher performance.
Find out more about Xprtise (opens in new tab) and AskDelphi (opens in new tab).
Learn more about Drillster (opens in new tab) and the Drillster way of learning.
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