According to McKinsey, microlearning is more effective than traditional learning. By breaking down complex topics into bite-sized chunks, microlearning can help improve knowledge retention and increase learner engagement compared to traditional learning. Some differences between microlearning and traditional learning include the length of training, the learning environment, and the learning methods. Traditional training methods typically involve longer training sessions in a classroom or conference room, while microlearning delivers training content in small chunks that can be accessed anytime, anywhere, and on any device. Traditional learning also often relies on lectures, reading materials, and written assessments, while microlearning uses multimedia elements and interactive assessments to engage learners.
The good news is that microlearning and traditional learning aren’t exclusive. In fact, they are complementary. Microlearning can be used to reinforce key concepts covered in traditional training sessions and deliver just-in-time training when employees need it most. It can also be tailored to individual learners’ needs and preferences, making it a powerful complement to traditional learning methods.
Benefits of Microlearning
Microlearning improves knowledge retention and learner engagement. Traditional training methods often overload learners with too much information at once, making it difficult to retain and apply the knowledge. Microlearning, on the other hand, presents information in small doses, making it easier for learners to remember and apply what they’ve learned.
Microlearning training also uses interactive and engaging content to keep learners interested and motivated. With the help of multimedia tools such as videos, infographics, and quizzes, learners can interact with the content and apply it in a practical way.
Unlike traditional training, microlearning is highly flexible and can be accessed anytime, anywhere. Learners can access microlearning content on their mobile devices, desktop computers, industry-specific handheld devices, or even in the classroom. It is designed to support continuous learning by providing employees with ongoing access to relevant training content, allowing learners to continually improve their skills and knowledge.
All of these features make microlearning a convenient solution for busy employees who have limited time for training. But it’s also a good solution for justifying cost-benefit. Compared to traditional training methods, microlearning is a more cost-effective and efficient solution. Courses can be developed quickly and inexpensively, allowing companies to create more content and train more employees at a lower cost.
Overall, the benefits of microlearning make it an attractive solution for companies looking to enhance their L&D strategy.
How to Use Microlearning in Your L&D Strategy
Incorporating microlearning into your L&D strategy requires careful planning and execution. Before implementing any new component to an L&D strategy, leaders must identify the training needs of employees. This will help create relevant and targeted microlearning content that addresses specific knowledge gaps. Then, organizations can develop microlearning content that is engaging, interactive, and relevant.
You can also use microlearning to reinforce key concepts and provide learners with ongoing access to training content. Better yet, incorporate microlearning into your existing training programs to add value to the learning experience. By organizing and delivering microlearning training content through an LMS—using a rapid LMS authoring tool—learners can access modules on-demand and managers can use the LMS to track learner progress and performance. With just a few clicks, training managers can add polls, quizzes, video, and audio content.
It’s also crucial to continually evaluate the effectiveness of your microlearning strategy and revise it as needed based on data and feedback from learners. (The ExpertusOne learning record store makes this easy.) Track learner progress through courses and identify which learning concepts they are struggling with, so that you can adjust training content as needed.
Microlearning Challenges
Creating effective microlearning content can also be a challenge. To ensure that your microlearning content is effective, focus on the learning objectives, keep it relevant, and use multimedia tools to enhance engagement. It’s crucial to always keep content updated to remain relevant and effective, so businesses must establish a process for regularly updating and refreshing learning content.
In addition to updating, businesses need to measure the effectiveness of microlearning, which can be extremely challenging, especially if you don’t have the right tools in place. If businesses use an enterprise LMS to implement microlearning, managers are enabled to track learner progress and performance, conduct surveys and assessments, and set goals for individual team members to gather feedback and data from learners.
How an LMS Enables Microlearning
An LMS is an essential tool for implementing a successful microlearning strategy, offering a range of features like customizable learning paths, progress tracking, and reporting. With an LMS, learners can access microlearning content on-demand, track their progress, and receive personalized recommendations for future learning.
An LMS can help companies incorporate microlearning into their existing L&D plans by providing a platform to create, manage, and deliver microlearning content. With an LMS, companies can develop and deploy microlearning courses and videos quickly and easily and track learner progress and performance. In addition, an LMS can help companies identify knowledge gaps and training needs through assessments and LMS reporting and analytics. This information can be used to create targeted microlearning content that addresses specific training needs. Some ways microlearning can be developed with an LMS include:
- Interactive training: Incorporating multimedia elements such as videos, animations, and infographics can enhance the engagement and effectiveness of microlearning courses. Using the rapid-authoring tool in the ExpertusOne LMS, users can create microlearning opportunities like quizzes and polls within courses.
- Just-in-Time Learning: Microlearning is ideal for delivering just-in-time training that employees can access whenever they need it. Mobile access with a mobile LMS app empowers learners on the move.
- Social Learning: Social learning involves sharing knowledge and experiences with peers. An LMS enables coaching and collaborative learning through live meetings directly in the LMS.
- Microlearning for sales
Corporate Microlearning Development
Creating a culture of microlearning in the workplace is essential for organizations that want to stay competitive and ensure that their employees are constantly improving their skills and knowledge. In order to be successful, an organization must have leadership buy-in, clear objectives, a collaborative environment, and a user-friendly platform.
The leadership team must support microlearning and incorporate it into the company’s culture and values. That means setting clear objectives for microlearning programs that align with the company’s overall goals and values. Leaders must identify the training needs of employees and develop microlearning courses that address those needs.
Leaders must also encourage collaboration and knowledge sharing among employees to foster a culture of continuous learning. And, of course, employees need a user-friendly platform—like a digital LMS software—to access microlearning courses and content easily.
By embracing microlearning and incorporating it into training and development plans, organizations can ensure that employees are constantly upskilling and reskilling in the most efficient ways possible. Wondering how implementing microlearning training using an LMS can transform your corporate training? Schedule a demo with us.
