Before I can answer the above question, let me first explain what microlearning is. Microlearning breaks learning into bite-sized chunks and can transform the learner’s experience and save employees from information overload. When done correctly and following best practices, microlearning can have a positive impact on the L&D learning strategy, whether it is reducing safety incidents, increasing product knowledge, increasing leadership capabilities or achieving any other objective that is critical to the organisation. Microlearning is ideal for performance support and to refresh learning or skills at the point of need.
According to a Bersin by Deloitte’s report on “Meet the Modern Learner”, 70% of employees access answers to on-the-job questions through popular search engines. That’s because Google is often the most readily-available tool at the point of need. While it should not be seen as a replacement for formal or structured learning programs, it is a method to complement a mix of learning & development interventions. Additionally, people are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to find solutions to unexpected issues. A question I would get asked regularly is if Microlearning and Mobile learning is the same thing. The short answer is no, but pairing Mobile Learning with Microlearning will allow your learners to take training materials with them when they are on a job site, on the road or just away from their desks.
Learning hubs are starting to rise in popularity among corporates. A knowledge hub is very different from a learning management system (LMS). In an LMS, learning is allocated and ‘pushed’ to employees, within a knowledge hub, learners can ‘pull’ resources and access what they need when they need it. This shift towards microlearning and curated content is driven by the need to provide a more personalised experience to an individual based on their role, competencies and knowledge for them to be able to do their job.
Microlearning resources can stand on their own or form part of a larger course. The types of microlearning content vary, depending on the requirement, however, video plays a huge part in delivering microlearning with duration ranging from 90 seconds to 8 minutes. Microlearning Videos help L&D teams with agile training development and deployment. Organisations can choose from a wide array of tools that enable quick development and apply techniques to increase engagement and is platform agnostic, so it can be applied at the point of need.
What are your thoughts on Microlearning and how do you use it to support your learning strategy? We would love to hear your thoughts with regards to this rising trend, Get in touch today.
