Why Microlearning Works to Create Engagement Amongst Employees
What is microlearning and why it is more important than ever? You might have heard about it as it is a trending buzzword in the LMS community. Microlearning is by no means a new method of learning, but improvements in corporate training technology have enabled L&D leaders to operationalize this concept better than ever. In this article, we will discuss what microlearning is, why microlearning is beneficial to employee learning, and how to implement it into your LMS.
What is Microlearning?
Microlearning is just that – micro (short) learning. By nature, microlearning has been around forever. People have always learned new things with repetition and in small chunks. Have you ever learned to play an instrument or learned a new language? Then you probably have utilized microlearning. Microlearning has become increasingly more noteworthy due to technology advancement and studies on how humans obtain and comprehend information.
Research shows that more than 50 percent of employees would use learning tools more if courses were shorter1. Microlearning delivers effective information in a short amount of time. Instead of employees having to schedule out a couple of hours of week for training, they can now easily do training on-the-go. Not only does this enable increased knowledge retention, but it’s also a powerful benefit for today’s employee, who spends less than one percent of their workweek on training and development2.
What are the benefits of microlearning?
In eLearning, microlearning allows learners to take in courses in short fragments. Microlearning allows learners to squeeze in learning when they can and with the use of mobile learning; learners can access microlearning content wherever they go, on the device that they prefer. While microlearning is not meant for immense deep-thinking topics, it is great for reinforcement and deepening of topics already known. It’s a great first step for L&D leaders to invest in continuous learning rather than ‘one and done’ courses. Training material tends to be much shorter than traditional courses, so L&D leaders can lean on microlearning when on a tight budget and when speed-to-market is non-negotiable.
How should you utilize microlearning?
Microlearning can be easily integrated into a learning management system through many different avenues. Employers can utilize short video clips or mobisodes. They can implement flashcard learning. Instead of physical flashcards, LMS admins can utilize SCORM to create electronic flashcards to help employees’ study and retain information. Other ways to utilize microlearning are having tips and tricks posts, using gaming, short articles, task simulations, pop quizzes, and infographics packed with information. There are so many different ways to utilize microlearning and your employees will thank you!
Discover how you can use eLearning content you already have to create microlearning assets in this free ebook, Modernize for Engagement: A 5-Step Guide for Breathing Life Back Into Stale Content.The eBook throws a light on methods to audit learning content and talks about modernization methods to engage employees.
