Microlearning can be said as delivering content, knowledge, or small learning units for a short-term training process. It’s bite-sized bursts of knowledge for learners to study at their convenience. The content can be in varied different forms, from phrases to any multimedia technique. Microlearning is helpful to engage multiple senses, whenever it is possible to support different learning styles so the use of audio, video, animation, text, and interaction is helpful. But it is also important to note that all microlearning apps do not support every above-mentioned content aspect. In today’s era of short attention spans, it is very much beneficial and a perfect training module. A few onboarding platforms also include employee onboarding, skill-based training, etc.
Here are some examples of microlearning:
- Text
- Images
- Videos
- Audiobooks
- Tests and Listening to podcasts
Micro lessons are more specific and subject centric. They are outside of learners day to day context or make it simpler to apply to the specified job objective. This method of imbibing knowledge improves engagement, and job efficiency and tends to individuals to seek more training opportunities.
Highlights
Microlearning / LMS
Use Lessons to create microlearning content
Microlearning uses actionable content which can be broken into pieces for a targeted topic and can be easily received by the user.
Review, Results, Share the Wins
Encouragement is a vital thing to boost learners. Gamification is what employees are familiar with, so to align with it creates an addictive draw to the leaderboards, achievements, and dynamic engagement.
Mobile Driven
Designed in a mobile responsive way has been creating a learning experience that catches relevancy. It auto-resizes to look beautiful on the computer screen as well, but grabs more engagement on mobile.
Campaign creation and scheduling of the release of content
Campaigns act as folders for micro lessons. It is possible to release all the lessons at once or either drip out the lessons. But it is very important to keep the learners informed about upcoming content through text messages, emails, and push notifications.
Social Learning
It is easy to quantify the results through polls. So here the people’s answers to various questions are analyzed and recognized on the basis of the responses on the leaderboard for progress.
Just-in-time notifications
With Microlearning it is possible for learners to access the information when they need it most. The assets in this function are compact with various tools and which allows learners to gain new knowledge just in time to meet their immediate requirements.
What is Microlearning good for?
As David Allen, creator of the Getting Things Done time management programs put it “Short lessons, delivered consistently over time can create big change.” Microlearning offers an advantage for the organization’s training and development departments. As they are small-sized microlearning assets easily to be used and more affordable to produce, they can be further utilized for training initiatives, performance assessment, communication tools, and more. Micro Lessons can be combined or chained in a way to create deeper dives or learning paths. Retention rate could be measured by introducing a topic by showcasing it through a video, a short case study, a threaded discussion, a book summary, etc. Microlearning is often used as a blended learning solution.
Micro-learning focuses on the learners and offers the right amount of information which is necessary to achieve a specific objective. The formats and the learning path are created with a view to match individual learning style.
Learners access the knowledge at their own convenience, so microlearning provides the information available at the moment of their learning need. It is available on-demand, learners can pull the data rather than being pushed into going through it.
Microlearning is the most preferable solution because of usability. So far it is designed for multi-device functioning (from desktops, laptops to tablets and smartphones). As such providing flexibility to the learners on the devices they are used to.
The design outlays of microlearning are formatted in such a way which leads to better retention of knowledge and engagement on the part of learners. The formats are rich media formats which are quite often compact and consumed one.
Microlearning is a highly effective strategy for the young generations learners who have lower attention span and learners who are quite a technology savvy. These both aspects tend to consume less time of the learner and deliver with the relevant output.
Benefits of Microlearning-Based Training For Business
- Affordable and Agile: Microlearning has a shorter training span than e-learning so the cost of microlearning is quite lower than the traditional one. It is possible to create and deliver content easily through microlearning.
- Shorter Development Cycle: ?The formats designed and developed in microlearning assets have quite a shorter development cycle.
- Easy to Update: Microlearning nuggets can be easily updated, and it is possible to build connections between microlearning assets and deep-dive the training assets.
- Wider Application: In order to deploy microlearning assets, the learning management system should be easily searchable and also along with excellent tagging so that learners can easily find what they need. It is also possible to use the nuggets as Performance Support Tools (PSTs).
- High Impact: Microlearning results in many small pieces of training, which are more idea and subject-specific. They establish a clear standard for the look, feel, and learner experience, data that helps learners find relatable training content. This creates a cohesive picture that helps the learners understand the bigger picture.