31 July 2023 - 2 min read
Microlearning may mean small, but it provides BIG results.
In an ever-changing, digital-first workforce, employee development and retention has never been more important, and employers are working around the clock to ensure that they are providing their employees with the most up-to-date training methods and material.
A newer approach to skill-based training and learning is microlearning, described as information and learning material presented in one short burst.
Below we talk about some of the benefits of microlearning and how it ultimately improves employee engagement.
Microlearning has been designed to be consumed quickly and, on the go, which is one of its most appealing factors.
This type of learning is perfect for employees who don’t have a lot of spare time during work hours, or perhaps spend a lot of time traveling for work. Microlearning can be completed in a 15-minute car journey on the way to the airport and can be done from your mobile phone or laptop.
A great example of how microlearning can be utilised this way would be through the creation of microlearning masterclasses. These masterclasses combine short snippets of theory with demonstration videos, packed with tips from industry experts and pop-up questions throughout.
The masterclasses are designed to last anywhere from 8-15 minutes long, meaning they are easily absorbed on the go, and are to be completed in one sitting.
Individuals are easily tested on the content through the pop-up questions, and often companies will create multiple masterclass menus, which is an accumulation of multiple masterclasses, giving their employees the opportunity to work through the menu at their own pace and to their own schedule.
The average attention span was last recorded in 2015 and is an underwhelming 8.25 seconds. If nothing else, this statistic clearly backs up the need for microlearning and just how outdated week-long training sessions and training material packed full of text are!
With employers and learning and development specialists in desperate need of a way to combat this issue, microlearning allows information to be provided in short bursts, with the option to make each lesson or module as long as you like.
By doing this, you’ll not only greatly increase the chance of your employees digesting all of the information presented to them, but research confirms that your completion rate will be significantly higher if modules and lessons are kept to an average of 5 minutes long.
What differentiates microlearning from traditional learning and development is that each session or module has been designed to only cover one subject or answer one specific question, making it perfect for those more complicated, intense topics!
Microlearning means that learning remains clear, concise, and generally uncomplicated, and for individuals who are working with complicated systems or processes, it keeps content short, snappy, and digestible.
This type of learning is also particularly helpful when training new staff on new systems or training junior staff on really complex systems. After all, the easier you can make things to understand, the better!
Personalised learning has become increasingly popular over the past few years with employers now actively asking their staff what kind of learning and development they feel they would benefit from.
With the phrase ‘one size fits all’ now being extremely outdated, microlearning is fully customisable, and modules and lessons can be created solely based on the feedback of your employees.
Microlearning can take a variety of formats. Commonly, however, employees will have individual access on the chosen learning platform or learning software, which allows them to choose and complete the modules that are most relevant to them and their role.
This means that employees are fully in charge of their own learning to a certain extent, which empowers them to remain committed as with microlearning, they will only get out what they put in!
Modern-day learners are already using digital advancements to learn in and out with their jobs. Resources like search engines to answer quick-fire questions, for example, or YouTube tutorials with a step by step guides on how to learn new skills, or social media to learn more about the culture of other businesses and how they operate.
The current workforce is comfortable with using online digital tools when it comes to learning, and microlearning is a great way to ensure these learners remain engaged.
Microlearning is digital and presents in the form of short videos, tutorials, animations, and so on, which is perfect for the 2023 modern learner.
With the help of AI and AR, immediate results and feedback have now become the norm. As individuals, we no longer expect to wait for reports to be drawn up, or results calculated as we know that automation will do this for us and do it fast.
Because of this, it’s no surprise that when it comes to learning and development, employees are only satisfied by immediate results, ongoing feedback and knowing how they’ve performed against their team members.
Luckily with microlearning, this is possible! These platforms, software and tools can provide certificates, completion medals and instant feedback.
In turn, this pushes learners to be excited by learning and create a tangible result that they can be proud of.
So, while microlearning encourages employees to take learning into their own hands, are there particular ways of presenting training material and content that will encourage your employees to get on board? Absolutely…
The benefits of microlearning are endless, and with an abundance of digital tools available to take your microlearning strategy to the next level, it’s time to invest in your people and provide the kind of training experience that your employees are looking for!
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