December 29, 2017
Top 10 Benefits of Microlearning in Corporate Training
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December 29, 2017
Top 10 Benefits of Microlearning in Corporate Training
Asha Pandey is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 36 years of experience. After a successful transition to MPSi, which acquired EI Design in May ’22, she retired in Aug’22. Prior to her retirement, Asha was the Founder and Chief Learning Strategist at EI Design.
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You may have read about a Microsoft study that pegs the human attention span at 8 seconds while the attention span of a goldfish is believed to be 9 seconds.

We may or may not agree with the results of the study but there is clearly a need to have learning strategies that can offset the challenge of dwindling attention spans. In this blog, I highlight how usage of Microlearning is helping learners and organisations offset the challenge of dwindling attention spans and why it makes business sense for you to adopt it.

What is Microlearning?

Microlearning in corporate training is not “eLearning-lite”. So, just splicing the existing 30 minutes eLearning course into 5 nuggets does not create Microlearning nuggets.

Microlearning is short, bite-sized learning (of 3-7 mins length or shorter) that was designed to meet a specific learning outcome.

You can use Microlearning in corporate training to help learners:

  1. Learn new aspects
  2. Go deeper into specific aspects
  3. Practice
  4. Solve a particular problem
  5. Equip them on how to handle something that has changed

What are the key aspects of Microlearning in Corporate Training?

Typically, designed to be available across all devices, its multi-device capability provides flexibility to take it on desktops, laptops, tablets or smartphones.

While its usage initially began for Informal learning (notably as Performance Support or just-in-time learning aids to support or reinforce primary training), today it is being used for all aspects of corporate training including:

  1. Formal training: As a series of nuggets connected through a learning path
  2. Performance Support Tools
  3. Pre- or Post-workshop support for Instructor Led Training (ILT)
  • Microlearning in corporate training features usage of high impact, rich media formats (like animated videos, interactive videos, mobile apps and so on) to create highly engaging and immersive learning experience.
  • Coupled with advantages of short-run length and its design to meet a specific learning need, it comes as no surprise why it has gained tremendous popularity in the last two years.

What are the top 10 benefits of adopting Microlearning?

Microlearning in corporate training offers gains to both learners and to business. Here is my list of top 10 benefits that clearly illustrate why you should adopt Microlearning.

Benefits for Learners

  1. Less Time Consuming: Microlearning is ideal to mitigate the challenges of attention spans.
  2. Learner-Centric: All of us live in a world of distractions and anything that is short, easy to assimilate is certainly welcome. Nearly 80% of L&D professionals confirm that Microlearning is the preferred approach for their learners.
  3. Better Learning Experience: Use of high impact, rich media formats creates a higher engagement quotient as well as sticky learning experiences.
  4. Just-in-Time Availability: Microlearning nuggets are available to learners exactly at the moment of their need and more specifically, within their workflow. Both these factors lead to a “pull” of these assets by learners (in contrast to the “push” of traditional eLearning by L&D teams).
  5. Accessible and Flexible: Microlearning assets are designed for multi-device delivery offering learners the accessibility of the training on the device of their choice. This offers tremendous flexibility to the learners.

Benefits for Business

  1. Microlearning can be used to meet most of the corporate training needs (and for both formal and informal learning).
  2. Given shorter run lengths as compared to traditional eLearning, the Microlearning nuggets are more cost-effective.
  3. As a logical extension, Microlearning nuggets have a shorter development cycle.
  4. Microlearning is also easier to update and re-deploy.
  5. Create higher impact: Studies indicate that Microlearning based training creates 50% more engagement and leads to better completion rates and more sticky learning. When designed as Performance Support (learning aids), it improves the application of the learning on the job.

I hope this blog provides you with compelling reasons on why you should adopt Microlearning for corporate training in your organisation. If you have any queries, do contact me at apandey@eidesign.net.

 

 

14 Comments
2019-07-17 13:31:11
2019-07-17 13:31:11

Fantastic high level introduction to the movement.

thanks-

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(1)
2019-06-10 19:16:59
2019-06-10 19:16:59

Great article. My organization is starting to investigate the benefits of having microlearning modules that are mobile for our end-users.

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(1)
2019-03-14 01:35:11
2019-03-14 01:35:11

Great article, certainly something to reinforce in the eLearning products. I slowly started to implement this process with my team.

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(1)
2018-05-30 07:05:24
2018-05-30 07:05:24

I am curious if anyone out there has had to curate LOTS of data to create technical training. I am struggling to curate technical Knowledge transfer videos, SRS documents, WIKI’s sharepoint documents, etc to extract the most critical data. Any ideas? Does anyone use a specific tool to create TOC, like Block Chain, etc?

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(1)
2018-05-03 17:21:24
2018-05-03 17:21:24

Great article. Delivering content using the microlearning method is both powerful and effective.

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(1)
2018-03-30 23:58:34
2018-03-30 23:58:34

I would like to know what kind of technology is used for working microlearning? I mean for example to use social media for learning a foreign language using Whatsapp for example. I think that microlearning is useful in the way the student can practice and receive immediate feedback on their learning another way, It still being just material for studying something.

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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment
2018-04-02 07:47:08
2018-04-02 07:47:08
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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment

The technology to be used depends on the Microlearning format.

For instance, we use standard authoring tools (like Adobe Captivate or Articulate Storyline and so on) to create nuggets for formal training.

However, to create Microlearning nuggets that will be used for Performance Support you can pick from multiple formats like Infographics, InteractiveInfographics, Videos, Interactive videos and so on.

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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment
2018-05-06 14:32:19
2018-05-06 14:32:19
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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment

Most of the current courses seem to use interactive videos (short videos, no more than 5 minutes long). For instance, Udemy courses or Udacity courses as well…

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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment
2019-02-27 15:43:48
2019-02-27 15:43:48
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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment

Creating short (microlearning) interactive videos with Captivate is a great way to provide regular training in a corporate or educational environment without employees having to devote large blocks of time to training. Spending five minutes on a training each week is much easier to fit into a busy week than less frequent, longer training. Some advantages of using Captivate for microlearning are being able to add animation and interactivity in the form of assessments, simulations, etc.

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(1)
2018-03-05 12:29:43
2018-03-05 12:29:43

Asha,

I have recently taken a 45-minute seat time course and broken it into about 5 microlearning sessions. I’ve wrapped them into a web page so that learners can view any of the sessions individually, OR they can still log into the LMS to take the entire course. It’s all about giving users what they want, when they need it.

Great article! Thanks.

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chuck_jones_1
's comment
2018-03-30 23:52:03
2018-03-30 23:52:03
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chuck_jones_1
's comment

I love this phrase: “It’s all about giving users what they want when they need it.”

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chuck_jones_1
's comment
2018-04-02 07:43:29
2018-04-02 07:43:29
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chuck_jones_1
's comment

Thanks for the message. You summarised the usage of Microlearning aptly. Microlearning nuggets strung through a learning path are the right way for formal training that will appeal to your learners. Moving forward, this enables you to “personalise” the paths based on learner proficiency or interest..

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chuck_jones_1
's comment
2018-04-02 07:51:49
2018-04-02 07:51:49
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chuck_jones_1
's comment

Thanks a lot!

I have another interesting one coming up shortly on 15 types of MIcrolearning.

This will give you plenty of ideas on varied Microlearning formats that can map to your source content and the way the content will be consumed by your learners.

Do check out for this!

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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment
2018-05-24 04:00:12
2018-05-24 04:00:12
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JUAN PABLO PRADO OTERO
's comment

All well and good. But until we work out the various issues with Tin Can reporting – you can still only track courses using SCORM. That’s usually SCORM 1.2 and that can’t be done through the web. So Microlearning and traditional eLearning aren’t equal and that’s why I’m skeptical of Microlearning. It’s usually delivered informally so we can ask if they “like” it but we often don’t measure it. If we don’t measure it we really don’t know if it’s effective or not. If we don’t measure – then any results are just rumors.

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