Microlearning: The boost your learning strategy needs.
Microlearning isn’t new to the elearning industry. However, it’s here to solve the current problems that many of us are experiencing.
What is the problem?
Learning and development strategies are going through a quick turn around where the needs of the modern-day learner need to be addressed as well as learning remotely and efficiently. Strategies need to ensure they are keeping up with current technology trends to ensure they are maximising engagement with their learners.
Additionally, they need to be accessible and flexible. With many of us working remotely, working hours are becoming more personal. It’s important for organisations to acknowledge that to get the most out of their team.
What is microlearning?
Microlearning breaks down learning into small bite-sized modules. These bite-sized modules make learning much easier to digest, resulting in much better knowledge retention. By focusing on key elements of the subject in hand, learning is more effective. Because of this, knowledge is more likely to transfer from short-term memory to long-term memory.
If this doesn’t persuade you to include microlearning in your learning strategy already, here are three reasons that will:
Accessibility
The biggest reason many people are switching to remote learning right now is due to Covid-19 restrictions. That’s not to say that the change wasn’t already happening. Many organisations were already going through a digital transformation to keep up with the needs of learners and new technologies.
That being said, learning needs to be accessible in today’s world to ensure there are no barriers for learners to access learning content. As microlearning consists of small modules, it is usually mobile-friendly. This means not only can learners access learning from their mobile phone’s, but it will also work well on any other device.
Being able to access learning from any device, and anywhere means all accessibility barriers have been broken down. This should mean learners are more likely to undertake to learn and complete it.
Flexibility
Gone are the days of having to attend classroom sessions according to a timetable. Now is the time to put learning into the learner’s hands. Let them take control.
It’s become more apparent throughout the pandemic that remote working has made some peoples schedules busier than ever. Some with children, homeschooling and general household chores. The current ways of remote learning could be here for a while to come. Nevertheless, microlearning can allow learners to fit in learning around their new way of life.
Accessible learning means that your learning can also be more flexible. With learning being accessible from different devices and locations, it gives the opportunity for your learners to complete learning in their own time.
Short modules mean it’s easier to complete snippets of learning without feeling the pressure of having to complete a whole course in a short amount of time. Plus, these short modules should help to motivate your learners. Sometimes long classroom sessions can become boring for learners.
Engagement
With all of your learners in different places, it’s important that you make sure your learners are fully engaged and immersed in the learning. Engagement is important so that you can maximise learning and ensure knowledge retention is higher.
As microlearning consists of small modules, it’s more likely for your learners to keep engaged and wanting to complete more. It’s important to remember when designing your microlearning, it should cover one topic at a time and only the key information.
As Vyond point out, bite-sized videos and other short modules help boost knowledge retention and prevent cognitive overload. Overloading each module with information which isn’t necessary can become a barrier to retaining knowledge. If your learning content is created carefully, learners will be covering the key information within a short space of time which should promote better knowledge retention.
Lastly, being away from a classroom environment can also promote better engagement. Your learners may feel less pressured in their own environment as the learning becomes more informal and they can learn at their own pace.
“Learning in bite-sized pieces makes the transfer of learning from the classroom to the desk 17% more efficient.”
A new way of learning
If the idea of better accessibility, flexibility and engagement has convinced you to make microlearning a part of your learning strategy, then it’s time to get started!
With shorter modules, microlearning should be much faster and easier to create than usual. Other benefits include being able to adapt and edit current modules quicker, having more time to create different modules, and therefore having the opportunity to suit the needs of different learners and teams across your organisation.
Near-Life™ CREATOR can support your creation of microlearning modules with extra features of immersive, interactive learning to further engagement. Try a free 30-day trial today, to see what you can create.
There is no better time to adapt your learning to suit the modern-day learner.