What do you think of when I say "TikTok"? If you are over 25, probably something like "That's not for me". Today, I want to invite you to look beyond the horizon together: What can we learn from TikTok in the field of Learning and Development?
What do you think of TikTok?
You might already be perplexed by the question or the topic: What on earth could TikTok have in common with further education?! In fact, I don’t have an account with the most downloaded app of all time. And we certainly need to critically examine a lot about the provider, especially regarding data protection and youth protection. But recently, I caught myself saying to a friend, "That's not for me" – and I probably sounded quite dismissive. In the conversation, I then realized: I actually have no idea. Or, as Bob Dylan would put it:
"Don’t criticize what you don’t understand." –Bob Dylan
When was the last time you judged something without really knowing it? Especially in the field of (further) education, this is a danger that stifles innovation and success in its infancy. We advocate for lifelong learning while simultaneously condemning trends without having engaged with them. That’s why today, I want to show you with TikTok as an example that we can learn something from everything for our own goals – if we are just open to it.
This is TikTok: …"a video portal for lip-synching music videos and other short video clips, which also offers the features of a social network (...)" - Wikipedia
If you want to learn a little more about TikTok, I recommend this video from the Süddeutsche Zeitung – it explains how TikTok looks and works in a factual way:
5 Things Learning Facilitators Can Learn from TikTok
Tip No. 1: Be concise!
A characteristic and probably a major success factor is the extreme limitation in the duration of the content: Videos may last a maximum of 60 seconds, but usually are more like 15 seconds. This challenges users to compress their "message" significantly. As a result, the videos appear very accessible and "snackable", meaning they are quick to consume.
Experts have been advising this for educational content for quite some time now. Microlearning is the buzzword here – or specifically relating to moving images, micro-videos.
The concept of microlearning works especially well in e-learning: With short meaningful sections, you make it easier for your participants to follow the trainer's thoughts. And higher understanding leads to greater motivation, which in turn leads to higher understanding, and so on. After all, participants consume content in e-learning in short bits as well – so, it’s basically a service from you to provide as many small meaningful sections as possible and thus enable breaks at any time.
By the way: For videos in e-learning, we recommend a maximum length of 3 minutes.
Tip No. 2: Use videos!
The most obvious tip when it comes to TikTok – after all, TikTok is primarily a video platform. And hence, very successful. The fact that videos are extremely popular not only among the youngest generation is shown by the ARD/ZDF Online Study 2021, which Marie-Christine Schindler has beautifully summarized here. The main findings:
55% of all respondents use media online daily
36% of all respondents use videos online daily
On average, all respondents use online videos for 64 minutes per day – with 14-29-year-olds consuming a full 142 minutes and 30-49-year-olds 85 minutes. The trend is rising, as studies from previous years show. So what are you waiting for?
Tip No. 3: Allow fun!
TikTok is a good example of how humor in the form of short videos can make an impression. Especially for the target group of students and trainees, there are more and more content on TikTok with a serious background – for example, the channel "behind the science". In it, physicist and podcaster Dr. Reinhard Remfort demonstrates and explains simple experiments using everyday objects.
Whether adults should also have fun while learning has already been discussed in another part of the blog. The principle of "showing funny and practical examples to convey content" also works for people over 25. You don’t have to immediately create completely absurd dance videos that often shape the image of TikTok. But occasionally not taking yourself too seriously usually goes down well.
A good example of this is office coach Jörg Reimann. He doesn’t just shoot his videos with lots of wit and charm, but also enhances his online course with "funny outtakes" – footage where something went amusingly wrong. This earns a lot of sympathy points, which is extremely valuable in e-learning due to the distance from the participants. But it’s also clear: Telling jokes forcefully doesn't work – the fun approach must somehow match your character.
Tip No. 4: Encourage active participation!
On TikTok, you have the feeling of being part of a large community, even though you are sitting alone at home. So-called "challenges" are very popular, where users invite others to replicate something. Sometimes these are (as mentioned in the video) silly ideas like "scaring cows", but also sporting challenges. And through the technical possibility of embedding other videos in your video, there is also a visual interaction that appears less one-sided than it is.
What can we learn from this for workplace training? Give your participants the feeling of not being alone! This tip is especially important for e-learning, where the spatial and temporal distance is often a point of contention for trainers and coaches. Therefore, always think of good calls to action that are easy to implement. And maybe one or the other "challenge" fits into your online course.
Tip No. 5: Keep participants engaged!
The last point is concerning from a youth protection standpoint regarding TikTok: The app is designed to automatically redirect you from video to video. And since the videos are so short, you quickly think as a viewer, "Oh, that sounds funny, I’ll watch that to the end." A vicious cycle that can lead to addiction.
But despite all criticism, the psychology behind the technology is intriguing. For online courses or e-learning, we can learn from TikTok to create good connections between the content and continually guide the participants through the course. And here the circle of tips closes again: This works best with short videos that are self-contained and simultaneously build on each other.
What do you learn from TikTok – and from this article?
"The world is made up of those who set something in motion, those who watch it happen, and those who ask what happened." – Norman R. Augustine (Manager and Engineer in the Aerospace Industry)
My extra tip and the reason for this article is: Be open to the unknown, even if it seems bad/absurd or outside your world at first glance. Besides TikTok, there are other trends that obviously excite people. And as a facilitator of further training, it is always worth delving into the enthusiasm.
