“What is actually a Blink?” – This question is asked by many trainers or HR managers who are dealing with the topic of "Learning Management System" or are already actively using blink.it. We will clarify all of this now: What "Blink" means, what concept is behind it, and how three criteria create a perfect learning content!
To start, a small thought exercise: What do the following words have in common?
Zewa. Tempo. Walkman. Blink.
The answer: All these words are called deonyms. Admittedly, not a very everyday term. But it refers to a phenomenon we all know from our daily lives: Words in the vocabulary that are derivations of proper names. A deonym is when “handkerchief” suddenly becomes “Tempo” – derived from the name of the well-known brand of tissues. Often, people associate these memorable names with certain qualities: For example, I associate Tempo with being particularly tear-resistant, Zewa with great absorbency, and Walkman with good technical quality. Surely you also have such expectations of certain brands or names.
But what does all this have to do with a learning platform? Quite simply: Behind the deonym “Blink” also lies a unique story and a clear concept that makes the Blinks perfect learning transfer helpers for course creators!
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“Blink”: The name of the learning platform is programmatic
The concept of blink.it is simple: Course creators share content with their participants as easily and quickly as possible via an online learning platform. Ideally, the content is conveyed in the blink of an eye. In English, the saying for this is:
"in the Blink of an eye"
That’s exactly why we call ourselves blink.it! Behind it lies the call to you as a course creator: Summarize your knowledge as briefly as possible! So that your participants can process knowledge within a moment (in the Blink of an eye).
On one hand, a Blink is technically a component of the Learning Management System (LMS) blink.it. On the other hand, the Blink itself follows a certain concept that makes the tile a Blink in the first place. What exactly that is, I will introduce to you in the next paragraph!
This is what a Blink looks like in the blink.it learning platform: a clear tile with title, intro text, contents, and a clear call to action.
One Blink =
Learning unit in the online course + the following 3 criteria
3 criteria that define a good Blink
Behind the Blink lies a clear concept from the very beginning. According to the definition of blink.it founder Konstantin Ristl, three criteria must be met to turn a plain learning tile into a real Blink:
1. A Blink is short
Every Blink aims to live up to its name: Even if a moment may be somewhat short, a good Blink is as concise as possible! Konstantin sets a clear time limit:
"A Blink should be at most two minutes long. Some trainers also take five minutes as a limit, but two minutes is better in my experience. More than two minutes is no longer enjoyable for me as a participant and does not hold my attention."
What Konstantin refers to as length concretely means: This is the maximum time a learner should take to view the content and process it accordingly. Conveying information and knowledge in such a short time can be a challenge. To keep content as short and effective as possible, a variety of formats are technically feasible in Blink. Possible formats in the online course include, for example:
Bullet-point lists
Graphics and images
Your own explanatory videos, simply and perfectly tailored to the content
Surveys and quizzes
2. A Blink is instructive
The knowledge conveyed through a Blink should never just be theory. A Blink should provide participants with a basis for action. This basis can vary widely:
To initiate or support an action, for example,
a guide for a procedure can be provided to enable new actions.
a video can awaken self-reflection with a recorded situation from everyday life.
a listing of pros and cons can help evaluate and change actions and routines.
Keep criterion number 1 in mind and summarize the instructions, video, or list as briefly as possible! And just like that, you have created learning content that meets two of the three criteria for a perfect Blink.
However, note – the third criterion is the actual core of every Blink!
3. A Blink is inviting
Many trainers are convinced that the most important thing in a learning concept is the content itself: The new theoretical knowledge that participants acquire. Konstantin from blink.it sees it quite differently:
"The Blinks primarily aim to give instructions and prompts for actions! Only if I regularly receive an impulse from a Blink about what I can practice concretely right now, do I start to take action."
Therefore, the focus of a Blink is not on theoretical knowledge transfer, but on practical application. Blinks should provide impulses and encourage participants to take action. If you keep this focus in mind while creating a Blink, it will also be much easier for you to keep it short!
This is why 2 minutes of learning at a time is sufficient
"Two minutes are way too short! For my content, I need at least ten minutes!"
This is the most common reaction to the requirement to create a basis for practical actions in a maximum of two minutes. But these two minutes are not pulled out of thin air: Scientifically, adults have an attention span of 20-25 minutes. However, observations from seminars and lectures show: Not a few adults start to drift off after 3-5 minutes into a presentation or get distracted by their own smartphones, for instance.
We need to move away from the idea in further education that the length of the learning unit guarantees success. To explain a simple exercise or action, two minutes are sufficient. What really takes time is the application and practice!
By the way: The concept of breaking learning content into small learning chunks is termed Microlearning.
Example: The ideal timing in the learning process
Imagine you want to train at a fitness studio. A trainer explains a specific exercise to you. How long does this explanation take compared to the actual action?
The explanation for the exercise is usually completed in a few sentences: How does the machine work? What do I need to pay attention to? In addition, the trainer may give you one or two motivating words about the workout. Presumably, the trainer will not explain ten exercises in one day and give you a one-hour presentation for that, but will rather add new exercises gradually.
The time-intensive part only begins after the short introduction: The instructions must be put into practice to see a result. And that means regularly and over a longer period of time. Ideally, the trainer stops by occasionally, gives you tips, or reminds you of certain exercises.
Just like in fitness training, it works with a Blink:
A Blink provides the theoretical knowledge of how to perform an exercise.
It actively invites participants to take action.
It maintains motivation through regular impulses.
Shorter learning units, when properly applied, do not convey less knowledge. They utilize the full attention span of the participant and assist in practical implementation in everyday life.
Our focus at blink.it: Active action!
Practical application is more important than theory in further education. The goal is action, behavioral change, and transfer to everyday work. In short: sustainable learning.
The blink.it learning platform offers plenty of freedom to implement your own learning concepts and develop your very own E-Learning. Whether according to our concept with a call to action, as a quiz with interaction with the participants, or in a completely different way: What works is allowed!
To stay true to our own concept: Now that you have learned in a few minutes what makes a good Blink, you can take action directly! Just click on the image below and test for free on the blink.it learning platform how you can create your Blinks with just a few clicks. We look forward to seeing you!
blink.it Feature: LMS-Connector
Do you want to integrate your blink.it courses into another LMS? Then get the LMS Connector!
blink.it Feature: LMS-Connector
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blink.it Free Guide
Do you want to create Microlearning courses but don’t know how? Then get our "Ultimate Microlearning Guide for Online Courses" for free.
