First, what is microlearning? Microlearning is a succinct burst of knowledge focused on one specific learning outcome. It is often used to break down a larger topic into numerous bite-sized modules, allowing for learning flexibility. Is it a strategy that works for ALL learning in an organization? Absolutely not. Is it a fantastic solution to enhance and expand on a variety of learning content? YES!
Microlearning is a succinct burst of knowledge focused on one specific learning outcome — and learners LOVE it! Click To Tweet
It is a common myth that microlearning only appeals to the Millennial generation. No matter your age — Traditionalists, Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials, and Gen Zs — WE are BUSY! In this fast-paced and high-tech world, we all seem to have more responsibility and less time. But offering fast and easy learning components is a benefit to everyone! When we need a quick piece of information, who wouldn’t want that knowledge at their fingertips in the moment of need?
You may be thinking, so what if my employees love it? Employees would also love enormous year-end bonuses, no dress code, and free lunch in the employee cafeteria, but that doesn’t mean those decisions are good for your business.
BUT microlearning IS good for your business — a win-win for both employees and the organization.
On-Demand Webinar
The Five Guiding Principles of Effective Microlearning: When and where to incorporate microlearning into your training strategy.
Here are four reasons why microlearning benefits businesses:
Microlearning is Cost Effective
Microlearning allows for a more precise and condensed development time, which reduces cost. There are also numerous programs for building eLearning modules or infographics with great templates that are easy for anyone to use and allow for a fast turnaround time. Bonus: This also makes them easy to update!
Microlearning Boosts Motivation
Being quick and easy to consume motivates learners to access the training and return for more. Think about this as it applies to your personal life. Let’s say you have an issue with your new car. You could open the 250-page user manual and read about the solution. Or, you could get on YouTube and watch a 5-minute tutorial on how to fix it. And while you are there — you find another 5-minute video about a feature you knew about but didn’t have time to figure out, and then you see yet another video on a feature you weren’t even aware of! Now you are motivated to watch those and maybe search for even more after that. The same can happen for your employees with your very own microlearning library.
Microlearning Increases Retention
The real beauty of microlearning is reducing the impact of the dreaded Ebbinghaus forgetting curve, which shows that we lose an alarming amount of newly acquired information after a short period of time. Taking in large amounts of learning material all at once can be overwhelming for the learner. Receiving information in bite-sized chunks, however, allows the learners to consume and apply knowledge at their own rate, which will increase retention. And for the content that MUST be delivered in a traditional blocked setting? Use microlearning components on key pieces of content that they can easily access again after the training to help jog their memory.
Microlearning is Learner-Centric
Microlearning can beflexible, varied, and customized to appeal to different learning styles —making learning more straightforward and enjoyable. You may not be able to give employees everything they want, but this “want” is EASY to provide. This method of learning empowers your employees to take ownership and pride in their learning paths, which circles right back to boosting motivation!
Now it is time to act! If you have been considering adventuring into this method of learning —come take the plunge! The water is safe! To get you started and inspired, watch this webinar: The Five Guiding Principles of Effective Microlearning. Then, if you need more hands-on guidance, contact us! We would love to help you build an effective and innovative microlearning library for your learners’ needs.
