Let’s bust a myth right away: microlearning isn't going anywhere!.
The rise of microlearning is driven by the increasing demand for flexible, accessible, and effective learning experiences. This learning strategy caters to busy schedules and shrinking attention spans. Microlearning cuts through the noise and focuses on concise, actionable lessons that deliver tangible results.
The benefits speak for themselves:
- 50% higher employee engagement
- 60% less training time without sacrificing effectiveness
- 20% increase in retention rates
Chances are, you’re already familiar with microlearning. From YouTube tutorials to quick demos on tasks like formatting a document, it’s all about delivering focused content that meets immediate needs. This approach has been proven to enhance engagement, shorten training times, and boost retention.
As the Association for Talent Development defines it, "Microlearning breaks complex content into digestible pieces." It improves retention and proficiency in ways that traditional, one-and-done training methods simply can’t. When integrated into a learning management system (LMS), microlearning becomes part of a comprehensive learning ecosystem that’s both efficient and impactful.
What is microlearning?
Microlearning delivers educational content in small, easily digestible modules that facilitate quick and effective understanding.
Think about what your learners need to know to complete a task. Within the time it takes for a new question to arise, you can create microlearning content that provides answers. With the ability to rapidly develop and share microlearning content, you can address knowledge gaps so internal and external learners can improve performance and achieve business goals.
The anatomy of microlearning: Learning objectives
Microlearning is about meeting specific criteria for each topic, and that’s where learning objectives come into play. They’re the backbone of every effective module. Just like a syllabus from college or the criteria on a middle school rubric, learning objectives are a clear and specific statement that describes what a learner is expected to achieve by the end of a module. These statements are the glue that makes it possible to assess and address knowledge gaps with precision.
Here’s how to use learning objectives for microlearning:
- A clear and focused learning statement: What’s the most concise way to articulate a subtopic? Instead of general modules on project management, a microlearning module might hone in on a specific skill, like balancing a budget for a software rollout.
- Bite-sized content: Aim for 3-10 minute modules. Consider the question: Is each learning objective solving a real-world problem for the learner or business? Whether you use video, articles, or infographics, each module must strip out unnecessary details to ensure quick consumption and efficient retention.
- Engaging visuals: How can visuals simplify the topic? In microlearning, it’s not advisable to add visuals for fluff. Each element of the module should break down big ideas that may have otherwise intimidated the learner. The module should also make the topic memorable, easy to understand, and engaging.
- Actionable takeaways at the end: Interactive elements aren’t just important for enticing learners to complete mandatory training. Adding quizzes, checklists, and real-world activities at the end of each learning objective ensures you’re working to meet retention goals. Actionable takeaways make your training more impactful from start to finish.
- Scalable and modular: Does your learning program leave employees asking, “How is this relevant to me?” Specific learning objectives, like balancing a budget, might not be relevant for all members of your project management team. Breaking up content into refined learning objectives empowers you to adjust modules, creating tailored learning pathways as your business goals change.
You might be wondering, what isn’t microlearning? If your training happens so infrequently that knowledge gaps persist or require multiple days of focused consumption, it’s not microlearning. This is also a sign that your training is too standardized to meet immediate business goals. You’ll learn more about how to give your content a microlearning makeover later on.
Who is microlearning for?
Microlearning is for the modern learner who needs to adapt quickly to new industry regulations, technology, generational knowledge, and other substantial information. The modern learner has conditions that employers and educators struggle to address: they’re pressed for time, excited to learn, and expect training that’s engaging.
So, what are the goals of the modern learner? How can learning leaders mitigate business goals with the needs of the modern learner? Microlearning is for:
Time-poor learners
Time is the number one barrier to workplace learning, and not just for busy employees. Companies with big ambitions to launch large-scale upskilling programs lag in development. LinkedIn reported fewer than 5% of companies have passed the planning and activation stage for reskilling programs over a three-year period.
Autonomous learners
Both rapid and engaging when properly executed, microlearning is effective for internal and external learners. Some organizations find value in offering internal microlearning for compliance training or during new employee onboarding. External learners, such as customers, partners, or resellers, also reap the benefits of microlearning. A quick tutorial on your company's product, for example, could potentially educate external learners.
Outcome-driven leaders
Microlearning is ideal for outcome-driven leaders because it focuses on delivering concise, targeted content that aligns with business goals and performance metrics. By providing bite-sized, actionable learning moments, microlearning helps leaders quickly deliver the knowledge and skills needed for employees, customers, partners, and suppliers to make informed decisions. As a result, leaders can improve team performance and drive results.
This approach also allows for continuous learning without overwhelming employees, keeping training relevant, accessible, and tied to organizational outcomes. Additionally, its flexibility enables leaders to adapt their learning based on real-time needs, boosting both efficiency and effectiveness.
Benefits of microlearning
Microlearning delivers concise, targeted information in short, easy-to-digest modules, making it an ideal approach for fast-paced work environments. This method boosts learner engagement, enhances knowledge retention, and improves training efficiency.
By integrating microlearning into your LMS, you can create a flexible and agile training strategy that adapts to the shifting needs of modern learners. Check out the key benefits of using microlearning to enhance your employee training programs:
Enhanced knowledge retention
By incorporating microlearning into your LMS, employees can better retain and apply crucial knowledge and skills in their daily tasks. According to a study by the Brandon Hall Group, microlearning can increase knowledge retention by up to 70%. This is because shorter, focused learning modules are better suited to cater to employees' cognitive limits, facilitating more effective processing and information storage.
How it works:
- Improved learner engagement: Microlearning breaks down complex topics into small, digestible units, making it easier to maintain learner focus and engagement. Its flexible format allows employees to access content at their convenience, enhancing the learning experience.
- Flexibility and accessibility: Employees can learn at their own pace with mobile-friendly, on-demand modules, making training a seamless part of their workflow.
- Continuous reinforcement: Bite-sized modules provide repeated exposure to key concepts, improving retention and long-term understanding.
- Supports virtual instructor-led training: Microlearning complements virtual sessions by offering supplementary, on-demand content.
Faster knowledge retention
Microlearning caters to the fast-paced needs of today’s learners. By focusing on key elements like immediate feedback, interactive content, and real-world application, microlearning ensures learners absorb new information and apply it effectively.
How it works:
- Immediate feedback and assessment: Microlearning includes quizzes and knowledge checks that provide instant feedback, helping learners assess their understanding and revisit areas needing improvement.
- Heightened engagement: Interactive elements like videos, quizzes, and scenarios keep learners engaged, improving their grasp of complex concepts.
- Knowledge application: Microlearning emphasizes practical application, using scenario-based learning to help learners apply new knowledge to real-world situations.
Supports business goals
Microlearning delivers results that directly impact the bottom line by providing continuous, targeted training that keeps teams agile and informed.
For example, the sales team can breeze through a few lessons about the new product they’re selling. The valuable information they've learned over their morning coffees could come into play during a lunchtime sales call. By the time those salespeople punch out for the evening, even if they haven't finished the whole training, the day's sales could've already improved.
How it works:
- Agile training delivery: Microlearning allows businesses to quickly create and deliver targeted training, addressing specific skills or knowledge gaps and fostering a more adaptable workforce.
- Adaptable to change: Every day, there's the potential for a new medical discovery or an urgent regulatory change. Information changes and processes evolve. That means learning can't be static. Microlearning empowers you to pivot, sometimes on a dime, to keep employees up to speed on the latest developments.
- Time and cost efficiency: Microlearning modules save time by offering focused training in shorter bursts, reducing time away from regular tasks. They are also more cost-effective to create and maintain than traditional training programs.
- Customization and personalization: You can tailor microlearning to specific roles, needs, and learner preferences, increasing relevance and training effectiveness.
By using microlearning, organizations can meet regulatory compliance and foster a culture of continuous learning. It empowers employees with the knowledge and skills to navigate new challenges with confidence.
How to address knowledge gaps with microlearning
To get the most out of compliance training, microlearning techniques engage learners and reinforce key concepts in a way that fits seamlessly into their work routine. By integrating interactive and immersive elements, such as gamification, scenario-based learning, and multimedia tools, training becomes more exciting, relevant, and impactful.
Give your microlearning content some flavor:
- Gamification elements: Using leaderboards, badges, and progress tracking motivates learners, encouraging active participation and milestone accomplishments throughout compliance training.
- Interactive quizzes and assessments: Quizzes prompt critical thinking, gauge understanding, and reinforce compliance concepts, especially through scenario-based challenges relating to real-world applications.
- Scenario-based learning: Case studies and branching scenarios engage learners by mirroring real-life situations, helping them apply knowledge while understanding the consequences of their decisions.
- Branching scenarios: Decision-based challenges highlight the impact of compliance actions, reinforcing the importance of informed choices and potential workplace implications.
- Interactive videos and simulations: These tools immerse learners in visual scenarios to clarify complex ideas, enhancing understanding and retention of compliance topics.
- Storytelling and narrative-driven content: Using storytelling in training creates emotional connections, making content memorable and relatable. Narratives ultimately improve learner engagement and retention.
Incorporating these interactive elements into compliance training helps create a more engaging and effective learning experience. By blending gamification, scenario-based learning, multimedia tools, and storytelling, organizations can enhance comprehension, retention, and application of key compliance concepts—driving better outcomes for both employees and the business.
Strategies to deliver microlearning programs
Microlearning isn’t just small bites of content; it’s meaningful information. A common myth is that microlearning is all about the length of time, i.e., a three-minute video. It's not. Microlearning tailors content to specific needs. As a general rule of thumb, microlearning content should be as long as necessary and as short as possible.
Outcome-based microlearning
Solve the problem, be strategic, not a manager. When determining whether your program is best suited for micro-delivery, begin with the end in mind. Plan to target your microlearning content to specific outcomes to help people perform tasks when they need to.
Examples of outcome-based microlearning:
- Customer service improvement: A short training module focused on handling difficult customer interactions. Employees take the course and immediately apply the skills, with measurable improvements in customer satisfaction scores as the outcome.
- Sales performance enhancement: Microlearning modules that focus on specific sales techniques (e.g., upselling or objection handling). The training results in more conversions and increased sales.
- Compliance adherence: Short, targeted microlearning sessions on compliance policies. The outcome is a higher pass rate among employees and adherence to regulations, with tracked improvements in compliance scores.
If you plan to target training support, understanding the context of the need will ensure your solution fits. The key to microlearning is to help people within their workflow.
Learning in the flow of work
Between endless streams of emails and meetings, it's no wonder our brains are exhausted. The last thing people need is to break away from work for a training program that may or may not help with day-to-day activities.
Deloitte reports people only spend 1% of their time during the workweek focused on training and development—that's 24 minutes a week. This means the learning provided must be readily accessible, relevant, and purposeful.
Examples of learning in the flow of work:
- Just-in-time product training: Employees receive brief, on-demand tutorials when using a new tool during their workday, such as a quick video or tip on the software.
- Task-specific guidance: A worker struggling with a specific task (e.g., filling out a form or using a system) gets a short, context-relevant lesson that provides immediate solutions without interrupting workflow.
- Performance support: When an employee faces a challenge, bite-sized resources (like checklists or FAQs) get them the exact answer needed in the moment, minimizing downtime.
Another great microlearning example to draw inspiration from is Google's "whisper courses" method used for manager training. This likens microlearning to a whisper in a manager's ear. Google views microlearning reminders as a nudge rather than an official mandate. Short, spaced lessons help busy people retain what's important.
Adaptive learning
Adaptive learning is a transformative approach to training, tailoring content to individual learner needs. This dynamic method uses AI and analytics to assess learner proficiency, pace, and preferences. By understanding each learner's strengths and weaknesses, adaptive learning customizes the training journey, ensuring relevance and maximizing engagement. This personalized approach enhances comprehension and retention, making training more effective.
Examples of adaptive microlearning:
- Personalized onboarding: New employees receive tailored training modules based on their role and experience, skipping basic tutorials if they already know certain skills.
- Sales training: Struggling employees may receive lessons in negotiation, while high performers get advanced content on market analysis.
- Compliance training: High-risk departments get more frequent, targeted updates, while others receive general content less often.
5 steps to maximize the impact of microlearning for your organization
Now that you know what microlearning looks like, how do you implement it? To get the most out of microlearning in your LMS, consider the following five practical strategies:
1. Align microlearning with your goals
Identify the top knowledge gaps or challenges costing your organization time or money. Did you see an uptick in noncompliance incidents last year? Are you losing customers? Is employee retention dropping?
Microlearning can address these specific business challenges or skills gaps, but you’ll need to identify the source of the problem to create learning objectives for your modules.
Examples of business goals include:
- Improve knowledge retention for high-risk activities to reduce noncompliance incidents YoY
- Reduce time-to-value by 20% for customers that require product training with shorter, more concise modules
- Increase employee engagement by 30% with microlearning pathways for internal mobility
Pro tip: Before incorporating microlearning into your training strategy, evaluate your existing learning materials to identify areas that could benefit from microlearning. Determine which content can be broken into smaller units and prioritize creating microlearning modules for the most critical topics first. To save time, you can use an AI course builder to create interactive content in minutes.
2. Choose a mobile-first application
To optimize microlearning modules for mobile devices, look for three features: design, offline settings, and engagement features. A responsive design ensures your learners have a seamless experience across Android and Apple devices, as well as on their iPads, laptops, and other devices. You’ll also need an app that can operate offline for workers who are off-site or in an area with spotty WiFi. Find an app with a history of boosting engagement and delivering a superior user experience.
3. Design learning objectives with engaging experiences
To maximize the impact of microlearning, create interactive and visually appealing content that captures learners' attention and encourages active engagement. Use multimedia elements such as videos, images, infographics, and quizzes to deliver diverse and vibrant learning experiences.
4. Add actionable takeaways to each microlearning module
When you’re teaching the modern learner, it’s important to remember that theory isn’t actionable. Keep learning objectives focused on practical, actionable takeaways rather than concepts. Encourage immediate application of knowledge through follow-up activities such as checklists, quizzes, real-world practice, and periodic retention tests.
5. Introduce methods for continuous reinforcement
To support ongoing learning, integrate microlearning into daily workflows. Offer short, relevant lessons during downtime and use push notifications or calendar reminders for new content. Provide just-in-time learning opportunities within your LMS, such as product updates or industry insights, making these resources easily accessible. Additionally, foster continuous reinforcement through discussion forums, where learners can share insights, discuss challenges, and exchange ideas, promoting peer learning and community.
Are microlearning apps worth it?
In short, yes. If you’re tired of outdated and ineffective employee training methods, it's time for microlearning.
As a corporate learning method, microlearning provides brief, targeted lessons that are available to reference at any time, ideally via quick access through an LMS. When learners need support to complete a particular job, they can find the answer in a piece of microlearning content and then apply what they've learned on the spot. [LC4]
By embracing microlearning, businesses can foster a culture of continuous learning that equips employees with the necessary skills and knowledge to excel in their roles and contribute to the organization’s overall success. When implemented effectively, microlearning has the potential to revamp how your workforce learns and grows, paving the way for increased productivity and business success.
Experience the impact of microlearning with Absorb LMS. Sign up today for a live demo.
