3 Things To Love About Microlearning

Microlearning is quickly taking over the digital learning landscape, with organizations finding this eLearning strategy to be cost-effective and highly engaging to learners.

The millennial workforce, in particular, is loving microlearning for many reasons. Organizations that have been using microlearning to train their employees say that it has led to better job performance, and, in general, more informed and developed employees. Learning and development (L&D) experts say that the reason microlearning works so well is because it is the first eLearning strategy that is centred around the modern learner, which is why modern employees find it suited to their needs. In this article, we’ll discuss three things that make learners fall in love with microlearning.

1. It is Short and Focused

The modern individual has no patience for long, tiring eLearning content that needs undivided attention for 10-15 minutes. They are used to consuming information in short, focused bursts. Advertisers and marketers have been using short and concentrated content to make a place in the minds of their consumers for quite some time now. Microlearning uses the same concept by spreading the information contained in their courses into a number of small, bite-sized microlearning modules no longer than 5 minutes. These modules can be used to learn skills just-in-time, where they can refresh their memory just before applying a particular skill, for example, how to behave professionally in a meeting with clients. As microlearning addresses only one task at a time, it can be a lifesaver when used as performance support. Also, due to its short duration, it can be taken again and again as per the employee’s need, which is a substantial reason for the modern learner to love it.

2. It is Engaging And Relatable

Microlearning depends heavily on the aspect of engagement, which is why it is full of learner engagement strategies, like videos, visual appeal, gamification, and interactivities. As all of these strategies are also used in social media to engage individuals, they work like a charm on the modern learners, making microlearning both engaging as well as relatable. But this is not all. Behind all this pomp and flash is quality content, without which microlearning would fail. Given that learners get all the engagement and entertainment they want from games and social media, they are not looking for another mode of engagement and entertainment; they are looking to learn. Microlearning makes learning engaging and entertaining, which keeps them focused on the presented content, helping them retain it. Microlearning does not fool learners into learning; it makes them look forward to it, which is why it is just another reason to love it.

3. It Complements All Other Learning Strategies

Organizations that have successfully implemented microlearning into their L&D programs know that microlearning is not be used as standalone employee development and training method. While it is a great strategy to support learning, it cannot be relied upon to train employees in complex concepts and skills fully. But it is not meant to do that anyway. It is when it is paired with traditional eLearning, or even traditional classroom training in the form of blended learning, that microlearning lives up to its full potential. This way, learners can learn all the granular details of a concept or skill using the traditional methods, which can be reinforced or refreshed using a microlearning module. When paired with eLearning simulations, microlearning can be used simultaneously to apply a concept or skill in a virtual space without the consequences they would carry in the real world. It is a critical component of a complete learning package. What is there not to love?

As they say, the proof of the pudding is in its eating. Organizations which hesitate in implementing microlearning should first do thorough research to determine how microlearning can work for them, iron out all the details they need to before implementing it, and finally, sit back and observe the impact it has on their employees. Most likely, there will be a pleasant surprise of the support it garners from employees and how it boosts their performance. If it does not completely suit your organisation’s needs, you can always tweak it to meet your needs or remove it from your L&D program completely. But what you should not do is kick it before you have tried it.

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