How often do you think a piece of learning indeed necessitates 45 minutes of continuous, uninterrupted reading? It is only essential in rare cases, but for many companies, it is the default approach. Could a virtual training platform be the solution for your teams? Read on to find out.
What is Microlearning, and Why You Need It
There are several barriers to effective learning. As early as 1956, cognitive psychologist George A. Miller of Harvard University’s Department of Psychology argued that the average number of objects an average human can hold in short-term memory is seven ± 2 (Miller’s law). [1]
In this age of busy calendars and short attention spans, microlearning is a near-perfect training style. And it can be used for all forms of training. A few microlearning examples include employee onboarding, compliance training, and skills training. As an instructional methodology, microlearning focuses on the design of microlearning activities through micro-steps in digital media environments, which is already a daily reality for today’s knowledge workers. These activities can be incorporated into a learner’s daily routine and tasks. Unlike “traditional” e-learning approaches, microlearning often leans towards push technology through push media, which reduces the cognitive load on the learners.
Examples include:
- Screensavers prompt the user to solve small series of simple tasks after a certain amount of inactivity
- Quizzes with multiple-choice options on cell phones by use of SMS or mobile applications
- Word of the day as daily RSS-feed or e-mail
- Flashcard software for memorizing content through spaced repetition
- Short videos (2-10 minutes) either presented stand-alone or in a series
What are the Benefits of Microlearning?
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It’s Faster to Deliver
With fewer things to write, that means quicker course delivery times. Together With microlearning, you can build a course with dozens of units in an hour. It is allowing you to react quickly to changing business goals and new training requirements.
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It’s Inexpensive
A microlearning course is also much cheaper to produce. It involves fewer resources and needs fewer trainers. You don’t even need any unique “microlearning tools” to create your content; a regular LMS content editor works – though, of course, a specialized microlearning-based platform makes the development much more manageable.
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It’s Accommodating
Microlearning programs cover any subject that regular eLearning courses do, just in a bite-sized way. You can create classes that give a broad overview of a subject or even create complex topics.
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Learners Find it More Engaging
Micro training is a highly engaging training delivery method. The microlearning experience is comparable to checking your favorite social app on your smartphone, compared to the feel of regular training.
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It Improves Information Retention
According to research, when you study something repeatedly and revisit it, you retain it far better than traditional eLearning modules. The repeated study fits nicely with microlearning units since they are generally small, self-contained, and easy to return to.
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It Gives Learners More Autonomy
Typical online training that uses text-heavy courses is not ideal for studying in short stints. On the other hand, microlearning lets your learners enjoy informal learning whenever they have some spare time. Plus, since micro training courses are miniature, they’re also easy to download and take with you when offline.
ReadyTech has more than 1.2 million students trained, more than 150,000 classes delivered, and more than 7,500 happy instructors. If you want to know more about microlearning, contact a member of the team at +1 (800) 707-1009 to book a demo.
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