Microlearning is considered the “sibling” of traditional e-learning. It is, first of all, a time-efficient solution for corporate training. In other words, microlearning differs from traditional learning methods in two key ways.
What would you choose as a student, a 2-hour video course or a 2-hour video course divided into 5-minute short videos? We all love shorts (75% of users prefer short videos, statistics say all), and yes, we will definitely choose bite-sized videos for learning. Guess what? We have a name for it, microlearning, a revolutionary approach to education that redefines the way we gain knowledge in easily digestible increments. In addition, microlearning aims to enhance this dynamic learning strategy in our dynamic era of information overload.
Whether you are a student seeking effective learning strategies or a professional aiming for skill development continuously, join us on a journey to disclose the real essence of microlearning.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning is considered the “sibling” of traditional e-learning. It is, first of all, a time-efficient solution for corporate training. In other words, microlearning differs from traditional learning methods in two key ways. First, it lacks extensive context and details, mainly focusing on specialized knowledge. Secondly, it relies on self-motivated learners to seek and complete relevant lessons, which can become challenging if the content surpasses their skill level.
Types of Microlearning
No, microlearning is not only about videos. Here is what you can get:
Microcopy: Microcopy includes short instructional texts like tooltips and error messages. It's concise and helps users quickly understand tasks without overwhelming them.
Microlearning Apps: These apps deliver brief, focused lessons through quizzes, flashcards, and videos. Examples include Duolingo, which offers quick language lessons that fit into a daily routine.
Microlearning Games: Games designed for learning use short, interactive sessions to teach specific skills. They make learning fun and engaging through gamification, increasing motivation and retention.
Infographics: Infographics present complex information visually with images, charts, and concise text. They make it easy to quickly grasp and remember key points, perfect for rapid learning.
Where is Microlearning Used?
Microlearning is more about personalized, self-paced learning but here are more use cases to consider.
Corporate Training: Microlearning is widely used in corporate environments for employee training and development. Companies use short, focused modules to teach skills, update employees on new policies, and provide ongoing professional development. This method is efficient and allows employees to learn at their own pace, fitting training into their busy schedules.
Education: In schools and universities, microlearning complements traditional teaching methods (but is still less popular). Educators use bite-sized lessons to reinforce key concepts, provide quick reviews before exams, and offer additional practice on challenging topics. Microlearning helps keep students engaged and improves retention by breaking down complex subjects into manageable parts.
Healthcare: Healthcare professionals use microlearning to stay updated with the latest medical knowledge and practices. Short training modules, videos, and quizzes help doctors, nurses, and other medical staff quickly learn about new procedures, medications, and technologies without taking time away from patient care.
Language Learning: Language learning platforms like Duolingo and Babbel use microlearning to teach new languages. These apps offer quick, daily lessons that make language learning manageable and less daunting, helping users build their vocabulary and grammar skills incrementally.
Compliance Training: Industries with strict regulatory requirements, such as finance and manufacturing, use microlearning for compliance training. Short, targeted lessons ensure that employees understand and adhere to regulations, reducing the risk of non-compliance and associated penalties.
Onboarding: Microlearning is effective for onboarding new employees. It provides essential information about the company, its culture, and its role in small, digestible pieces, making the transition smoother and less overwhelming.
Sales Training: Sales teams use microlearning to stay sharp and updated on product knowledge, sales techniques, and market trends. Short training sessions help salespeople quickly apply new strategies and improve their performance.
What are the Benefits of Microlearning?
Easily Accessible: Microlearning fits busy lifestyles and different learning preferences, especially since people have shorter attention spans. Standalone micro-courses allow for flexible, self-paced learning. It's also perfect for learning on mobile devices.
Solves Minor Issues of the Everyday Job: In employee training, the success of 40-minute lessons is often unrealistic. Microlearning courses streamline the focus, delivering key takeaways on specific topics when learners need them the most. Such a targeted approach ensures effectiveness and relevance in addressing immediate learning needs.
Enhanced Retention: By breaking down complex topics into bite-sized pieces, microlearning helps improve memory and understanding. Learners can focus on one small concept at a time, making it easier to remember.
Cost-Effective: Microlearning is often cheaper to produce and update than traditional training methods. Companies can save money on training materials and delivery, while still providing high-quality education.
Motivation and Autonomy: Microlearning empowers learners to take control of their education. The ability to choose what, when, and how to learn increases motivation and encourages a lifelong love of learning.
What are the Challenges of Microlearning?
Microlearning is an amazing choice when it comes to delivering simple information, yet it is not a one-size-fits-all solution for more complex subjects.
Fragmentation: Microlearning breaks information into small, bite-sized pieces, which can sometimes lead to a fragmented understanding. Learners might struggle to see the bigger picture or connect different concepts without a comprehensive overview.
Limited Depth: Because microlearning focuses on brief lessons, it may not be suitable for complex subjects that require deep, detailed exploration.
Over-Simplification: To fit into short sessions, content can sometimes be oversimplified, leaving out important details and reducing the effectiveness of the learning experience.
Engagement: While microlearning can be engaging, it requires careful design to maintain interest. Poorly designed microlearning modules can become repetitive or boring, leading to disengagement.
Self-Discipline: Microlearning relies on the learner’s self-discipline and motivation (something we may lack in a world full of distractions). Without a structured learning environment, some individuals may struggle to keep up with the lessons or may procrastinate.
Integration with Traditional Learning: Incorporating microlearning into traditional learning environments can be challenging. Educators and trainers need to ensure that microlearning complements rather than disrupts the overall learning strategy.
Assessment and Evaluation: Assessing learning results and progress in microlearning can be difficult. Traditional assessment methods may not be suitable, and it can be challenging to measure the effectiveness of short, fragmented lessons.
Technology Dependence: Microlearning often relies on digital platforms and devices, which can be a barrier for individuals without access to the necessary technology. Technical issues can also disrupt the learning experience.
Consistency and Quality Control: Ensuring consistency and quality across multiple microlearning modules can be challenging. Varied content quality can impact the overall learning experience and outcomes.
Scalability: While microlearning is scalable, creating a large volume of high-quality, engaging microlearning content requires significant time and resources. Maintaining this content can also be resource-intensive.
As seen, microlearning has more disadvantages and to benefit from it you need to mix it with other practices.
How to Incorporate Microlearning?
As long as we are clear on the definition and formats of microlearning, let’s discuss possible ways to incorporate this approach.
Know your audience
Delivering a quality learning experience is nearly impossible without knowing your audience and clearly understanding their needs. Thus, make sure to start by understanding who your content is for, as this clarity will help determine the format and content inclusion or exclusion.
Create learning outcomes
Once you have identified your target audience and the format of your course, the next step is to establish learning outcomes and objectives. Specifically, this not only ensures that your course provides genuine value but also helps in effectively marketing it by emphasizing its key features.
Keep it short
If the main format of your course is short videos, try to keep each session between 3 to 10 minutes. In addition, avoid lengthy content, including videos. In other words, offer short training sessions for optimal effectiveness.
Keep the content interactive
If you decide on the creation of video content, make sure to include questions, discussion forums, tests, quizzes, and games to boost interaction. Interactive learning improves knowledge retention, resulting in satisfied customers and more positive reviews.
Choose a platform
Choosing the appropriate platform enables the delivery of an excellent learning experience through its tools for effective course organization. Moreover, you should ensure that the chosen platform has a mobile app, as a significant number of students access microlearning content via mobile devices and tablets.
Microlearning Best Practices
Microlearning videos
Videos are usually quick and easy to digest and understand, and combining them with audio enhances the recall of the subject matter. Quick, influential, and engaging videos provide a better opportunity for understanding compared to written materials. Thus, learners can effortlessly share them with their peers.
Gamification
Gamification is an e-learning approach and can also be used as a microlearning tool. Brief and quick games enable learners to reinforce their knowledge and features like leaderboards and challenges make it possible to maintain engagement for short durations.
Knowledge checks
Knowledge checks are concise assessments that allow learners to quickly evaluate their progress and understanding of specific concepts or information in a focused and efficient manner. Such knowledge checks can be conducted through various learning management systems.
Blog articles
Blog articles have the potential to provide quick, focused information on a specific topic, allowing learners to absorb key insights or knowledge in a short amount of time.
Infographics
Infographics offer quick information absorption by presenting data and product details visually. Through the use of graphics, learners can grasp the content effortlessly, enhancing efficient understanding.
Social Media
Using social media for microlearning can help deliver concise content in headlines or 160 characters. Tap into its familiarity for quick and impactful learning experiences with a tool your learners use on a daily basis.
How to Choose Microlearning Platforms?
When selecting microlearning platforms, make sure to consider user-friendly interfaces and mobile accessibility. In addition, it ensures accessibility on mobile devices and a diverse range of content options.
In addition, look for platforms that offer analytics features for tracking learner engagement and progress. Afterward, align the platform’s main features with your organization’s learning objectives, and conduct trials while seeking user feedback to make an informed decision that best suits your specific requirements.
Conclusion
As someone who has tried microlearning platforms and strategies for practicing, I should say it is a thing if you are self-organized and don’t practice procrastination as a profession (like me). Indeed, short videos and text are easier to watch but they may be similarly easier to forget. Try microlearning and maybe it will be super effective for you. If not, come back to our blog to find another, more suitable learning type for you.