Understanding Microlearning

Microlearning is the delivery of information in small chunks. With the ever-growing responsibilities and the desire to learn at your pace, microlearning has been adapted to bridge this gap. It involves breaking the training material into bite-sized modules and allowing the learner to learn at his or her pace.

Learners no longer have the desire to stay up for thirty minutes online course. The short span learning material. The influence of social media and growing internet usage has also contributed to the constant adaption of microlearning in the workplace.

To be effective,  Microlearning should be: 

Short 

Make sure that the training material spans between one to three minutes.

Focused 

Each content nugget should address acquisition of a specific skill. Do not confuse your learners by bombarding them with multiple learning objectives.

Engaging and captivating  

Ensure that the content is engaging and relevant. You can use game elements to make the course more captivating hence motivating the learners to learn.

Benefits of microlearning

Saves time 

Employees can access the training material anywhere and learn at their own pace. Training does not interfere with their corporate duties. Specific skills are also acquired effortlessly and without much hassle.
 

Interactive and flexible

Microlearning incorporates the use of game elements or games that make it more interactive. A learner is also able to choose from a wide range of topics that addresses their specific needs.

Improves productivity  

Since the learner spends their free time to learn what is needed, productivity is greatly enhanced.

Personalization  

Microlearning lets the learner personalize their training experience hence are more likely to apply the knowledge at their workplace. Through microlearning, the employee can find what he or she needs to address real-job related tasks. This creates autonomy in the employee hence fostering motivation.

Just-in-time learning

It allows the learners to access the material when they need to. Microlearning is also accessible on all devices such as the laptop, desktop, tablet, and smartphones. This enables the learners to access it when in great need.
 

Cost-effective  

Microlearning is both advantageous to the trainers and the development departments. Given their small size, it becomes cheap and easier to produce and maintain. 
 

Examples of microlearning  

• Short video demonstrations: Short videos that show you how to do a certain task.

• Brief gamified activities: Activities that help you acquire a certain skill are made more engaging through use game elements and games.

• Instructive animation: Similar to demonstration videos, they give instructions to the learner on what to do.

• Visually rich job-aids: Videos that present you with a real-life job scenario showing how to perform a certain task.

Verdict 

Microlearning is a trend that is fast picking pace. Companies are embracing it due to the change in the task force. With more millenials crowding the workplace, trainers are incorporating it since they prefer training that is divided into small chunks.

It also proves to be engaging and motivating which mirrors the expectation of millennial learners. For effective training, your company should embrace microlearning.