What is more important: being able to find information fast (navigating) or having knowledge at the ready (learning/remembering)?

In May we attended the ‘Performance Journey Goes Dutch’ event organized by Xprtise. The central thread of the event was Performance Support and the 5 Moments of Need. The discussion about navigating versus remembering was one that was continued throughout the event. Being able to quickly find the right information at the right time is a skill that is necessary nowadays. That much is clear. Knowing how and where you can find instructions when you need them helps you become better at your job. But how important is remembering these days?

Critical tasks

The discussions made clear that remembering information and skills – and thus having them at the ready – is just as important as navigating this information. In some situations, you simply do not have the time to look up what you need to do next, no matter how fast you may be able to do that. The critical task analysis of the 5 Moments of Need methodology mostly looks at tasks from categories 5-6-7. If something happens in these categories the consequences could be significant, or even catastrophic. Examples that are often used to illustrate this are a surgeon and a pilot. How weird would it be if a surgeon ‘just’ had to look something up during surgery. But those critical tasks that require immediate action exist in every job. Just think about power grid engineers, customer service representatives or warehouse workers. Every employee has tasks that could lead to severe consequences if they do not know what they are doing. It is exactly for those types of tasks that we offer the solution.

Knowledge at the ready for critical tasks

Drillster is an adaptive learning application that ensures that crucial knowledge and skills are continuously at the top of your mind, so employees can perform using the right knowledge at the right time. The unique methodology combines adaptive learning, microlearning, direct feedback and question-based learning in one simple tool. Creating and editing content is very easy and the smart algorithm aligns the learning content automatically with the individual learning and forgetting curve. Effective and efficient.

The perfect addition to Performance Support

This does not mean, however, that our solution cannot be used for the tasks in categories 1-4. But, if you want to use the brain’s capacity to remember information to its full potential, you should focus on the really crucial skills and make sure they are anchored in the brain. For everything else, Performance Support offers the ideal solution. This way, Performance Support and the Drillster methodology seamlessly integrate and can be used to create the best learning experience.