Mini. Micro. Short.
What do you think of when you see these terms? I bet it wasn’t learning!
Micro courses, or short courses are gaining in popularity throughout the adult literacy world and beyond. This trend is alive and well in the north. We partnered with Aurora College to create short courses offered in Community Learning Centres throughout the NWT in the past few years. Start your Own Small Business, Introduction to Early Learning and Child Care, Introduction to Office Skills and Start Your Own Business – Funding and Marketing were some of the courses that were offered.
The short courses introduce learners to an occupation that may be available in their communities, and give them the literacy and essential skills necessary to begin work in that occupation. The short courses are very popular with a high completion rate.
I recently attended the Centre for Literacy’s Summer Institute in Montreal. One panel discussed micro courses that businesses offer their employees. Many small and medium businesses do not have the infrastructure to offer their employees training programs. By working with a training provider, they can offer micro courses tailored to their workforce, and bundle the courses so that their employees build on their learning.
These micro or short courses result in people gaining the skills they need to enter the workforce, stay employed, or boost their skills for promotion.
-- Kathryn Barry Paddock
