Growing up in a globalised, tech-savvy insta-world has shortened the attention span of a new generation of workers. This can pose a problem for workplace education and training, especially if they are still predominately event-based solutions. Just think about how people access information in this day and age, generally in small pieces and often on a smart device and in social sharing applications.
So, what can we do about it?
Teams will still need to complete training, upskilling and professional development.
When traditional corporate training is too hard to digest, a blended and bite-sized approach is an adept solution. The answer? Microlearning.
What is it, and how does it work? Let’s explore!
Microlearning: A Better Way To Train Your Team
What Is Microlearning?
Microlearning is the perfect solution for getting more bang for your buck and engaging your team in the content. It works with small learning units and learning activities that can be completed quickly.
Usually, it is run through a tech-based training system focusing on individual objectives in short bursts of teaching (think Bites – get it bite-sized learning!). Using this method not only makes the information digestible but also allows for data tracking and grants flexibility to the trainee. It can be used for all kinds of training – think employee onboarding, compliance training and skills training.
Basically, if you’ve got 10 minutes, you can learn something via a microlearning method.
What Does Microlearning Look Like?
So, what does microlearning look like? Well, microlearning is any form of training or development that can be completed quickly and efficiently.
Due to its nature of quick consumption, microlearning is usually screen-based training that students can access via devices such as mobile phones, tablets, computers and VR headsets. Here are some examples of microlearning content:
● Text: short articles, paragraphs, messages or hints
● Images: illustrations, infographics, photos or visual aids
● Videos: short and snappy explainer videos, similar to what you might see on social media
● Audio: snippets of speech or music
● Interactive elements: quizzes, games, flashcards and other gamification mechanics
Why Is Microlearning So Effective?
Microlearning is:
● Quick to deliver, allowing you to pivot to changing business goals and new training demands.
● Affordable, requiring fewer resources to produce and needing fewer instructors.
● Flexible and able to cover any subject that an ordinary eLearning course can in a bite-sized way.
● Engaging because it feels more like checking your favourite social media app on your phone than engaging in “serious study”.
● Great for knowledge retention, thanks to units being small, self-contained, and easy to return to.
● Freeing for learners, allowing them to enjoy casual learning whenever they have a bit of spare time.
Blended learning solutions
Microlearning can be even more powerful when combined with other technologies or traditional learning and development methods. This is especially relevant for skill-based and labour heavy positions. For example, by delivering microlearning scenarios in Virtual Reality (VR) or Augmented reality (AR), trainees can get real-world experience without the risk. Plus, because it is bite-sized in length, it is easy to digest and covers various topics.
VR and AR enable on-site, experiential learning and procedural training – a perfect way to deliver the microlearning method. Procedural tasks can be executed in VR while data is collected to deliver immediate performance feedback. Large chunks of information can be broken down into individual modules to gain all the benefits of microlearning. As a part of the entire development cycle, you may also consider having some form of event-based training and regular informal feedback.
Ensure Microlearning Is Going To Be Valuable For Your Team
When using microlearning in your organisation, we suggest using emerging technology such as augmented reality and VR. mentokc can advise you on hardware and software solutions to create a blended learning environment that will suit everyone in your team, improve their learning experience – and make learning better and more engaging. Heck, we even have a WebAr solution that we would love to get you onto!
The more your team likes to engage in training, the more likely you’ll be to cultivate a learning and development culture in your organisation.
Want To Introduce Microlearning To Your Team?
Think microlearning could be a great way to upskill your team? mentokc is bringing cutting-edge tech-based training solutions to Kiwi organisations, providing them with the means to deliver engaging training at work in new and innovative ways.
We are all about using technology to aid better learning within workplaces. We’ll help you build a more capable team through learning and development experiences that are bespoke to you.
mentokc can help you:
1. Figure out who your learners are: creating the right assets for your workforce is vital to the success of the training.
2. Establish what kind of content will be best: content that is actionable or that can be broken down into smaller pieces is easily purposed for use in a microlearning strategy. But using microlearning for complex content can work too! We can help you create a blended solution using a longer format for training to develop foundational knowledge while also creating microlearning modules for targeted, actionable content.
3. Determine which technologies to use and help you introduce these.
Find out how we can help you implement microlearning into your learning solution, boost completion of training and increase engagement among your team. Book a consultation with us now to discover microlearning for yourself!
I want help with microlearning for my team. Let’s chat!