In today’s busy work environment, nobody has time for lengthy PowerPoint presentations or chunky learning and development (L&D) courses. No wonder the microlearning strategy’s bit-sized knowledge delivery is so popular nowadays.
The strategy focuses on making key information available to employees whenever they need it. If you also want to deliver effective workplace learning that stays with the learners for a longer period of time, you need to read till the end.
The Most Effective Forms of Microlearning Content
Microlearning is not just a concise version of those traditional, lengthy L&D modules. Microlearning solutions cover a wide variety of resources to fulfill the different learning needs of individual employees almost immediately. Let’s check out some microlearning formats that you can use in your workplace training modules.
-
Short Videos
Short videos help learners focus on key pieces of information with easy-to-follow clips while keeping them engaged. For example, if you want your team to learn how to operate a project management system, you should invest your resources in creating a comprehensive step-by-step tutorial. The bite-sized videos can help demonstrate the procedures while sharing expert knowledge.
-
Interactive Games
Instead of using traditional PowerPoint presentations, you can use games and fun activities to increase engagement among your employees during training sessions. Introducing gaming elements, like a scorecard or badges for achieving a milestone, can keep your employees engaged and encourage them to actively take part in the learning process.
-
Podcasts
This popular medium can allow employees to learn on the go. You can develop a series of podcasts that discuss leader skills, the latest developments in the industry, or even interviews with key figures in your sector to help your employees develop clarity about their roles. Those with busy schedules can use audiobook players to learn during their commutes and downtime, turning them into productive training sessions.
-
Interactive PDFs or eBooks
While PDFs and eBooks have been used extensively in various L&D programs, you can enhance the learning experience by introducing interactive elements to them. When the material has elements like links, videos, and quizzes, it delivers a more engaging reading experience than conventional text-based materials.
-
Infographics
Infographics embody the true essence of microlearning. Learners can get essential information at a glance. The quick, simplified, and visual summaries of complex concepts make learning a lot easier for your busy employees. You can use them for quick references, to generate a list of key learning points, or to highlight important points for reinforcement of the lessons.
Various L&D programs now also use specially designed mobile apps, personalized eLearning modules, and more to train their employees effectively. You, too, can incorporate all these microlearning formats as per your learning needs to offer more flexibility and easy-to-consume materials for your workplace learners. This practice supports continuous professional development and helps them adapt to the changing needs of the workplace.
Tips for Creating an Effective Microlearning Program
Choosing the most effective form of microlearning content cannot always ensure success for your L&D program. You need to take a few measures to ensure your microlearning modules can bridge the skills gap and encourage your employees to expand their knowledge.
Identify the Skills/Knowledge Gap
Before you start developing a microlearning module for your workforce, try to identify the challenges your employees face regularly. If there is a skills or knowledge gap in the team, try to address those areas with your microlearning modules. This will ensure that your microlearning content is relevant to your employees and can be utilized in their everyday work.
Fulfill Specific Needs
Prioritize materials that help your workforce improve productivity in major operations. This will improve your employees’ day-to-day activities and make them more efficient. For example, let’s assume you have introduced new project management software for your team.
All you need to do is create learning materials that focus on teaching your employees how to use that tool and the steps to resolve a technical problem so that workplace efficiency is not disrupted.
Keep It Concise
In microlearning design, there’s one golden rule – “less is more.” For your training module to be effective, you need to focus on the quality of the information and not the length of the sessions. Here are a few easy ways to make sure your microlearning content is effective and engaging:
- Prioritize Information: Microlearning is considered more effective in the L&D space because our average attention span continues to shrink with time. To make your content effective, you need to select information carefully. Identify the key pieces of information a person needs to understand a concept properly or to figure out a task. Leave the rest of the content out.
- Keep the Design Simple: Do not use distracting elements that can keep the learners from focusing on the main message. Clean and simple designs allow learners to focus on the key details and help them stay engaged.
- Lose Unnecessary Fluff at the Beginning: Your learners should be able to access the key information from the first sentence itself. A brief context at the beginning is more than enough.
- Have a Direct Approach: Avoid adding fluff or unnecessary details that do not add value to the microlearning chapter. In case you have several details to highlight, you can make the information easily accessible to the learners by listing them in bullet points.
Make It Flexible for Your Employees
Your employees do not have the entire day to go through the learning materials. With microlearning, your goal is to make the modules more accessible to the employees which they can consume at their own convenience. There are three useful ways to ensure microlearning is effective as well as respectful of your employees’ time:
- Immediate Access: Training materials should be available to employees whenever they need them. They should use them as quick guides for different workplace problems. Your goal should be to gradually build a resource library that your employees can access whenever they need a quick reference to solve a workplace problem.
- Condensed Learning Modules: When your learning modules are short and concise, everyone will need less time to complete them. The ideal length of every unit in a module should be no longer than 10 minutes.
- On-the-go Accessibility: Your microlearning content should be optimized for mobile devices, allowing your team to access it remotely on the go. This will improve the flexibility of the training program and maximize learning opportunities for your team members.
Distribute Content Over Time
For a microlearning module to be impactful, you need to space the content in small doses over time. If you feed the whole microlearning module to your team at once, they may find it difficult to absorb and retain the information. Here are two practical ways you can space your content for more effectiveness.
- Take Advantage of Spaced Learning: Giving your learners the time to review their learning regularly can boost their long-term retention. Schedule automatic reviews for the learners after a few days once they finish a module.
- Set Up Automatic Alerts: Set up automatic notifications to remind your team about these reviews. This ensures that the learners periodically receive some inputs about the module, helping them with long-term retention of the lessons.
Conclusion
Even though microlearning modules are expected to be more useful than traditional L&D programs, you need to put in additional effort to make them more relevant and accessible to your employees. As long as you are using the tips mentioned above, you can expect to see a significant improvement in your company culture that prioritizes continuous learning and development of skills.
