Microlearning-based training continues to rule and for good reasons! Fueled by learners who want to consume short, bite-sized learning on the go (read, on their smartphones); Microlearning-based training adoption in organizations globally is on an increase. In this article, I share 5 killer Microlearning examples for employee training.
Microlearning based trainings, particularly as Performance Support (that is, specific job aids or learning aids to support Formal Training), have been around for few years now.
In the last 2 years, we have seen an acceleration in the adoption of Microlearning for Formal Training. Using a series of Microlearning nuggets connected over a learning path or learning journey has proved to be an effective way to offer Formal Training.
With an increased maturity in its usage for Formal Training and Informal Training, Microlearning is one trend that is here to stay.
What Is Microlearning?
The concept of Microlearning is not new. In the traditional eLearning approach, Instructional Designers would focus on chunking the source content into manageable bites of information or bite-sized courses that are easy for the learners to assimilate.
Microlearning has its roots in the same concept and in today’s context it is a short, focused learning nugget (designed to be 2-5 mins long and normally not exceeding 7 mins). It always has an associated outcome (it is this aspect that differentiates it from being merely an eLearning lite).
Given its size and precise definition, it is designed to promote effective learning on the go. The increased usage of mLearning or Mobile Learning as a core part of the learning strategy has further accelerated the usage of Microlearning.
How Micro Can You Go with Microlearning?
The idea behind creating effective Microlearning nuggets is to keep them as crisp as possible while ensuring that they are long enough to adequately cover a learning objective.
While there’s no perfect length as such for Microlearning, ideally, they should be:
- Easy to internalize.
They should be short enough for learners to consume them easily in one go.
- Available to learners precisely at the time of their need.
The Microlearning experience should be such that it helps learners on the job at the moment of their need.
- Designed to enable learners to act and practice.
The Microlearning experience should be action-oriented and help learners practice what they’re learning.
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.
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.
How to Design and Deliver Microlearning?
You can go about designing an effective Microlearning experience by following the given steps:
- Create the “Master Learning Blueprint” for your course and define the learning goals.
- Craft the “learning path” by converting your master learning goal into a series of nuggets.
- Create a learning path and get your learners to complete milestones based on their convenience.
Microlearning can be delivered on 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.
Microlearning Benefits for Learners
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A personalized learning approach
Personalized learning pathways match learners’ aspirations and can serve as effective career pathways.
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Just-in-time learning
Microlearning based training can address the majority of corporate training needs, including just-in-time learning aids for practice, proficiency gain, challenges, and reinforcement. It helps support “in the moment” needs, intermediate learning to build existing competencies, and transitional learning to help learners evolve into future roles.
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Higher knowledge retention
Microlearning formats with its visual approach helps to outline the principal aspects, leading to higher recall and retention.
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Mobile Learning
Microlearning can be delivered on all devices enabling 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 Mobile Learning as these short nuggets are often consumed by learners at their own pace on the go – on their smartphones.
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Self-paced Learning
Microlearning can be used as a highly effective and immersive learning approach to promote Self-paced Learning. It is available to learners within their workflow so that it can be accessed precisely at the moment of their need.
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Higher engagement
Microlearning based trainings fit in as a highly effective learning 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.”
Microlearning Benefits for Businesses
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Higher ROI
There are various types Microlearning formats available to help you use bite-sized learning to enhance the learning experience and eventually your ROI.
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Lower development costs
Due to short training duration, Microlearning costs are lower than traditional eLearning. They can be created and deployed much quicker than traditional eLearning.
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Ease of development and distribution
On account of the run length and the typical formats used to develop Microlearning, these assets have a much shorter development cycle.
How Can Microlearning Make Your Corporate Training a Resounding Success?
Microlearning has created a buzz globally for all the right reasons! Learners prefer short, bite-sized, on-the-go learning, and Microlearning training is perfectly tailored to meet all these demands.
In recent years, there has been a significant increase in the adoption of Microlearning in Formal Training, with the implementation of a sequence of Microlearning units along a learning path or journey, which has proven to be an effective approach for providing Formal Training.
Let’s look at a few killer Microlearning examples that EI has come up with for employee training:
Example 1: Creating an On-demand Learning Solution for Training Trainers Through Microlearning
Requirement
To create a sustainable, simplistic, on-demand training that trainers could use in their moments of need and incidentally learn concepts in the process.
Our Solution
The strategy EI produced was to use immersive Microlearning formats as the primary approach, amalgamated with numerous scenarios derived from real-life instances and several Performance Support materials as downloadable documents. The course emphasized relatable scenarios, using Microlearning formats like videos and podcast-based activities with minimalist designs.
Impact
Enhanced learners’ confidence to facilitate live sessions and apply their learnings from the training directly to their sessions.
Example 2: Microlearning Promoting Good Customer Interaction as a Service Differentiator
Requirement
To build experiential training that helps develop the required skills to understand and respond to the true needs of customers in the Banking sector.
Our Solution
We crafted a Microlearning training for customer service executives to provide crisp, interactive learning units with adequate takeaways and supporting job aids to promote learning during moments of need. We used practice activities, visual progress meters, and a mentor character to guide the learner; Microlearning formats like videos and questions make learning engaging, with quick diagnostic feedback for reinforcement. A visual mood meter ensures impact, resulting in heightened awareness and increased customer satisfaction scores.
Impact
Enhanced awareness of customer conversation aspects by learners with the bank witnessing higher customer satisfaction scores.
Example 3: Microlearning Empowering Leaders Through Just-in-time Learning Solutions
Requirement
To put up a comprehensive series of Leadership Training to equip and empower leaders in developing themselves and their teams successfully.
Our Solution
A Microlearning approach was applied to provide just-in-time learning using appropriate formats such as videos, relatable practice scenarios, interactive learning elements, and a wide range of downloadable performance support tools that leaders could consume on the go. It involved a range of videos as a key mode for bite-sized learning and performance support, and short, intuitive practice scenarios to promote decision-making as part of micro challenges.
Impact
It positively impacted the performance efficiency of leaders post completion (ESAT surveys) and promoted higher completion rates because of the just-in-time format.
Example 4: Driving an Acculturation Program Through an Immersive Learning Experience
Requirement
To develop a course that helps employees familiarize themselves with their organization’s culture, vision, mission, and values in a consistent and impactful manner while pushing a steady behavioral change.
Our Solution
We understood the task and created a portal-based Microlearning training, ensuring easy access to all learning nuggets. To enhance the experience, we incorporated short, gamified micro-assessments to render fun yet meticulous cognition checks – gamified micro activities were interspersed for cognition checks and practice through fully mobile responsive designs. The learning continuum was ensured through action plans provided as performance support tools at the end of each nugget.
Impact
Employees felt a sense of increased engagement and participation and were able to demonstrate the behavioral aspects of the organization’s culture.
Example 5: Revolutionizing Mentoring Programs for Leaders Through Microlearning
Requirement
To design a unique training program for an FMCG giant that transforms the way their leaders perceive a crucial process like mentoring.
Our Solution
We prioritized effective learning by creating short, succinct concepts by employing ‘Microlearning within a Macrolearning path,’ ensuring accessibility for leaders on their mobile phones at all times. The course styled custom illustrated visuals depicting Microlearning nuggets with a Macrolearning journey for a clear bird’s eye view. We used crisp analogies to convey concepts and provided infographics and iPDFs as takeaways or job aids.
Impact
The solution had a noted impact, guiding leaders in the informed application of mentoring concepts that helped both mentors and mentees with significantly higher enrollment in mentor-mentee programs at an organizational level.
Example 6: Microlearning Empowering New Joiners Through a Compact Learning Nugget
Requirement
To introduce new joiners to the IT function and familiarize them with the commonly used collaboration tools and resources as well as sensitize the audience to the basic aspects of information security.
Our Solution
Crafting an engaging learning experience using Microlearning formats such as videos, short scenarios, activities, and a gamified assessment. The training leveraged a mentor-mentee approach, and the conversations made the experience highly immersive. The learning journey involved visiting two departments in the IT function and interacting with experts to gain knowledge on the tools and resources available for new hires. An activity-driven approach ensured “learning by doing.”
Impact:
Featuring a new joiner as the central character made the experience completely relatable to the learners and turned out to be a key success factor for the training.
