With the changed workplace dynamics and need to offer more short, focused remote learning, Microlearning is a must have learning strategy today. In this article, I show you the benefits and best ways to use Microlearning in corporate training.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning has gained popularity as an effective strategy for delivering short, focused learning modules that cater to the modern learner’s need for quick, accessible knowledge acquisition. With the advent of AI tools, Microlearning can now be further enhanced through personalized, interactive, and efficient learning experiences.
Microlearning Theory
Microlearning theory, rooted in the pioneering work of German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus, centers on enhancing learning retention through bite-sized, focused learning. Ebbinghaus’s research on the forgetting curve revealed that learners retain only about 21% of new information within a month if not reinforced.
Microlearning addresses this challenge by delivering content in short nuggets of 3-5 minutes, allowing learners to absorb information in manageable increments that can be revisited regularly. This approach not only accommodates busy schedules but also optimizes retention rates by facilitating repeated exposure to key concepts over time.
How Does Microlearning Work?
Microlearning operates on the principle of delivering short, focused learning units known as nuggets that typically range from 3 to 5 minutes in duration. These nuggets are designed to achieve specific learning outcomes and can be accessed by learners at their convenience. The approach allows learners to control when and where they engage with the content, making it adaptable to their busy schedules.
Difference Between Microlearning, Nano-learning, and eLearning
Microlearning:
Microlearning revolves around delivering short, focused learning modules that target specific learning objectives within a brief timeframe. This approach emphasizes efficiency and relevance, aiming to provide learners with precise, actionable information. It is designed to fit seamlessly into the flow of work, making it ideal for just-in-time learning and performance support in fast-paced environments where learners need immediate solutions or knowledge reinforcement.
Nano-learning:
Nano-learning takes the concept of bite-sized learning even further by condensing learning content into extremely brief sessions, often less than 2 minutes in duration. The primary goal of nano-learning is to deliver quick, specific knowledge bites that can be easily consumed and applied. It caters to the modern learner’s preference for instant access to information and addresses immediate learning needs or reinforcement of key concepts in a concise format.
eLearning:
In contrast to Microlearning and nano-learning, eLearning encompasses broader and more comprehensive learning experiences. It includes longer modules or courses delivered online, offering in-depth coverage of topics and allowing for a deeper exploration and understanding of complex subjects. It is structured to support formal learning programs, extensive skill development, and educational courses across various domains. It provides learners with a systematic approach to acquiring knowledge and skills, often involving assessments and certification.
Why Is Microlearning Effective?
Our world is filled with distractions and dwindling attention spans. This raises questions on how your learning strategy should be improved to offset these challenges. Microlearning, characterized by its short duration and focused content delivery, leverages AI to personalize learning pathways, ensuring engagement and knowledge retention. Let’s take a closer look at this to conclude what approach would offset them.
Challenge 1: The 90/20/8 Rule
The advocates of the 90/20/8 rule have made noteworthy observations about human attention spans. According to them:
- Individuals are completely attentive and alert in the first 8 minutes.
- Once 20 minutes are up, the attention level begins to dip.
- Once it reaches the 60–120-minute range, the alertness level entirely drops.
Challenge 2: Dwindling Attention Spans
According to the findings of a study by Microsoft, the human attention span (which is about 8 seconds) is lesser than that of a goldfish (which is about 9 seconds).
Challenge 3: The Forgetting Curve
Then there’s the “Forgetting curve” too that hypothesizes that we fail to recall nearly 80% of what we learned in the last 30 days if there is no reinforcement offered.
These three challenges should be tackled for learning to be sticky, easy to apply on the job, and reflect in a demonstrable gain for businesses.
Let us look at how Microlearning can come to your rescue:
- To begin, you can utilize Microlearning to support your Formal Trainings. The reinforcement offered in the form of Microlearning helps learners retain the learning you provided them in the Formal Training.
- An important aspect of Microlearning is that it is short, concise, and learners tend to finish going through a Microlearning nugget under a 3-to-5-minute window. This helps nullify the “Forgetting Curve” and offset the attention span challenge.
- Such short trainings then covert to faster completions, thereby gaining you higher completion rates.
Benefits of Microlearning
More Freedom and Flexibility for Learners
The flexibility Microlearning offers with regard to short duration courses and the ability that it creates for learners to learn on demand helps meet their expectations of having an engaging experience.
Requires Less Time to Consume the Content
Microlearning delivers concise learning modules, typically under 10 minutes, allowing learners to grasp key concepts quickly during their busy schedules.
Enables Learning on the Go (Mobile Learning)
Microlearning is accessible on mobile devices, facilitating learning anytime, anywhere for learners who prefer learning on the go.
Supports Self-Paced Learning
Microlearning allows learners to progress at their own speed, choosing when and how to engage with content, enhancing personalization and retention.
Better Suited to the Modern Learner
Microlearning meets the preferences of today’s learners with short, focused learning experiences that fit their attention spans and on-demand learning needs.
Short Development Cycle
Microlearning content can be rapidly developed and updated due to its modular format, ensuring timely and responsive training solutions.
Can Be Used for Any Training Type or Industry
Microlearning’s versatility enables its application across diverse training needs, including compliance, onboarding, and skill development, adapting effectively to various industries and learning objectives.
Engaging for Learners
Microlearning based trainings fit in as a highly effective approach, with its ease of consumption, to engage learners and enable organizations to enhance employee performance.
Improves Knowledge Retention
The design formats of Microlearning include rich media formats that lead to better retention of knowledge.
Faster Course Delivery
Microlearning helps deliver short, focused training content to your learners that can produce specific outcomes in a shorter timeframe.
Affordable
Due to its short training duration, Microlearning costs are much lower than traditional eLearning costs. They can be built and implemented much faster than traditional eLearning.
Challenges of Microlearning?
Not a great match for complex concepts:
Microlearning may not work in situations where the training program is long and complex (that is, trainings that have complex concepts and nested learning pieces). AI can assist in curating adaptive microlearning paths that gradually introduce and reinforce complex concepts, mitigating these limitations.
May not be ideal for in-depth training:
Breaking down such content into multiple nuggets can be counterproductive. It can initiate a rather disruptive learning experience and impact the learning takeaways adversely. In this case, a Macrolearning approach would be the right fit, instead of Microlearning.
Scaling personalized content:
Managing and delivering personalized Microlearning content at scale can be challenging due to the need for customization and adaptation to diverse learner needs and preferences.
Management of vast amount of Microlearning resources created:
As the volume of Microlearning resources increases, AI-driven content management systems facilitate organization and accessibility. These systems use algorithms to categorize and recommend content, ensuring relevance and efficiency in learning delivery.
What Are the Best Ways to Implement Microlearning in Your Corporate Training Environment?
Get buy-in from leaders:
For the training to be successful, it must have the buy-in of the senior executives in the organization. To get this, the training should have a clear definition (overall objectives and how they align them to business needs and organizational goals). It needs to be reinforced by the approach plan and communicated to the senior executive’s team to obtain their feedback.
Make sure the technology environment is suitable for Microlearning implementation:
Microlearning nuggets are designed for and delivered in rich media formats. Their succinctness and accessibility across multiple devices make them a great fit for just-in-time training.
Identify objectives:
Microlearning is not just breaking down a 10-hour training into small pieces. It’s an action-oriented method of providing bite-sized learning so learners can learn, act, and practice. The standard way to go about offering Microlearning nuggets is to recognize the larger learning objective and then drill it down to micro levels.
Learn at your own pace:
Learners love Microlearning based training as it gives the control to the learners and they can decide when they want to consume the content.
To supplement Formal Training:
You can use different types of Microlearning to support your Formal Training. You can use nuggets to offer reinforcement to the primary, Formal Training. Alternately, you can also provide a series of nuggets to test the learners (for example, micro quizzes).
Boost engagement by integrating hands-on activities and simulations:
An interesting Microlearning format is to use a parallax approach that is commonly used in websites. It applies the same technique to simulate a learning path that learners can “scroll through.” In conjunction with the learning path, you can aslo add interactions and quizzes.
Microlearning Best Practices
Make it easy for learners to get started and stay the course:
Macrolearning looks at the bigger picture and is typically associated with longer seat times that cover complex concepts. It provides a wide range of related concepts in the same course. Contrary to Macrolearning, Microlearning focuses on accomplishing specific outcomes over a short seat time. Its technique of connecting multiple nuggets over a learning pathway aids learners to learn, apply, practice, and whet their skills. This leads to the keeping learners hooked to the course.
Make Microlearning Mobile-friendly:
Microlearning can leverage Mobile Learning further—particularly, Apps for Learning: Building on the wider adoption of Mobile Learning in organizations, it will be the mode L&D teams would prefer for varied corporate trainings.
It will leverage specific formats like Mobile Apps for Learning where a personalized learning path with Microlearning nuggets can be provided to learners. This approach can be applied to both Formal Training and as just-in-time learning aids within the learners’ workflow.
Keep it relevant and concise:
Unlike formal learning content, learning in the flow of work requires targeted, concise, and focused content. Long-form macro content won’t apply in these environments and Microlearning content is ideal to craft effective learning in the flow of work environments.
Incorporate videos:
You can create effective Microlearning based training with Interactive Videos. This solution can be targeted at learners who are always on the move and depend on their mobile devices for their digital learning needs, specifically when it comes to engaging and interactive content. The capability of videos as a medium is well established. They are a highly engaging and high-impact media format.
Use a conversational tone for better engagement:
A great Microlearning strategy to engage the learner is to use a conversational tone. A conversational tone comprises simplicity of expression, concise information sharing, a friendly approach, and encourages reflection. It is not forceful, preachy, or condescending.
Use ‘spaced repetition’ more frequently:
Spaced learning is an effective method of overcoming the Forgetting Curve. At regular intervals, offer additional Microlearning with practice opportunities for learners. This helps reinforce what they learned, solidifying their faculty to recall information when they need it.
Use innovative ways to encourage ‘binge-learning’:
To accomplish this, organizations need to create learning and performance ecosystems. These ecosystems help promote employee learning habits and drive continuous learning in the workplace. The concept of Microlearning can function as a catalyst.
Integrating AI for Personalization:
AI tools can analyze learner data to personalize Microlearning experiences, recommending content based on individual progress and preferences. This adaptive approach enhances engagement and learning outcomes.
Enhancing Interactivity with AI:
Interactive elements such as simulations and personalized quizzes, powered by AI, enrich Microlearning modules, making learning more immersive and effective.
Parting Thoughts
I hope the benefits and ways to implement Microlearning in your corporate training environment mentioned in this article provided you with insights to offer more short, focused remote learning through Microlearning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Microlearning in Corporate Training
The versatility of Microlearning makes it a great choice for L&D teams to use it for the diverse spectrum of modern training needs. With the rapidly changing workplace dynamics and need to offer short, focused learning, Microlearning is an indispensable choice for a learning strategy today.
Moreover, in addition to traditional formats, Microlearning includes innovative approaches such as nano-learning, binge-learning, and playlist learning. These approaches not only enhance engagement but also accommodate different learning preferences and contexts, ensuring learning in the flow of work and an effective learning journey.
Microlearning FAQs
- What is Microlearning?
Microlearning is short, bite-sized learning that features short learning nuggets. Each nugget is designed to meet a specific outcome, and the training may be delivered through a stand-alone nugget or as multiple nuggets that are offered as a learning journey/pathway.
- What is not Microlearning?
Microlearning is not just breaking down a 10-hour training into small pieces. It’s an action-oriented approach of offering bite-sized learning that gets learners to learn, act, and practice. The ideal way to go about creating Microlearning nuggets is to identify the larger learning objective and then drill it down to micro levels.
- How long should Microlearning be?
Microlearning features focused learning nuggets ideally designed to be 2-5 minutes long and normally not exceeding 7 minutes. Within this seat time, it should enable the learner to achieve a specific outcome or gain.
- What are the benefits of Microlearning?
Microlearning is highly effective in addressing modern workplace challenges such as limited attention spans and the need for just-in-time learning. It offers personalized learning pathways and supports various approaches including nano-learning, binge-learning, and playlist learning, enhancing engagement and relevance.
- What are Microlearning Videos?
Microlearning Videos are short, focused videos that are designed to meet a specific learning outcome. They can stand alone or be part of a larger learning sequence, integrating AI to enhance interactivity and personalization.
- How to design Microlearning?
You can go about designing an effective Microlearning experience by following the given steps:
- Create the “Master Learning Blueprint”: Define the overall learning goals and objectives for your course or training program.
- Craft the “Learning Path”: Break down the master learning goals into a series of microlearning nuggets. Each nugget should focus on a specific learning outcome or skill.
- Establish Milestones: Create a structured learning path with milestones that learners can complete at their own pace and convenience.
- How to deliver Microlearning?
Microlearning is accessible across all devices enabling the learners to move across devices (from a desktop/laptop at the office to their tablet/smartphone). However, there is a natural synergy between Microlearning and mLearning as these short nuggets are often consumed by learners on the go – on their smartphones.
- Is Microlearning effective?
Microlearning based trainings fit in as a highly effective approach to engage learners and enable organizations to enhance employee performance. Learners love it as they want training that is short and focused, helps them achieve a specific gain, and can be consumed “on the go.” Its integration of immersive formats and AI-driven personalization further enhances effectiveness.
- What are the different media formats of Microlearning?
Here are 18 formats that you can use to create Microlearning:
- Infographics.
- Interactive Infographics.
- PDFs.
- Interactive PDFs.
- eBooks.
- Flipbooks.
- Animated Videos.
- Whiteboard Animation Videos.
- Kinetic Text Based Animation Videos.
- Explainer Videos.
- Interactive Videos.
- Expert Videos.
- Recorded Webinars.
- Audio Books/Podcasts.
- Interactive Parallax Based Scrolling.
- Mobile Apps.
- Complex Branching Scenarios.
- Virtual Reality (VR).
- Virtual Reality (VR).
- When not to use Microlearning?
Microlearning may not work in situations where the training program is long and complex (that is, trainings that have complex concepts and nested learning pieces). In such situations, it makes more sense to present the training as a single larger learning unit.
Breaking down such content into multiple nuggets can be counterproductive. It would create a rather disruptive learning experience and will impact the learning takeaways adversely. In such a case, a Macrolearning based approach would be the right mode, instead of Microlearning.
- When to use Microlearning?
Microlearning is most effective when used to deliver training in the flow of work. Microlearning-based training can address the majority of corporate training needs including Formal Training, as Performance Support Tools, just-in-time learning aids, for practice, proficiency gain, challenges, reinforcement, and to drive Social Learning and Self-Directed Learning. It fosters continuous learning and skill development across various organizational roles.
- Why should you use Microlearning?
In a dynamically changed work-world, employees don’t have a lot of time to invest in Formal Learning, and organizations seek any competitive edge they can leverage. Microlearning can help you deliver short, focused training content to your learners, which can produce specific outcomes in a shorter timeframe. Its integration with AI tools ensures adaptive, personalized learning experiences.
- Why Does Microlearning work?
In a world that is full of distractions and diminishing attention spans, it is critical to have sharp, focused learning nuggets. Only then do you get the learners’ attention, and they invest in completing it. This is precisely what Microlearning based training delivers. By leveraging AI for content recommendation and personalization, microlearning enhances engagement and retention, driving impactful learning outcomes.
