Why Microlearning Is HUGE And How To Be A Part Of It

Why Microlearning is HUGE
Summary: Microlearning is a way of teaching and delivering content to learners in small, very specific bursts. The learners are in control of what and when they’re learning. Why has Microlearning has blown up recently? (Pardon the pun) To answer this question, you have to take a look at who comprises a majority of learners. By 2025, Millennials alone will make up that 75 percent of the workforce. The average attention span of the Millennial generation is 90 seconds.

5 Microlearning Commandments To Create You Own Microlearning

If organizations want to attract, develop, and retain talent in this generation, they have to adapt to their audience. To quote The Kinks, “give the people want they want”.

Even within my own organization, we have had to adapt the way we create and deliver our video-based eLearning. We’ve put together a list of the 5 commandments of microlearning anyone can use as they begin to create their own microlearning.

  1. Assign One Learning Objective Per Asset
    We define a Learning Objective by what the learner will do or know after they consume the asset. So focus on just one learning objective; this way, the learner will know exactly what they need to focus on to ensure knowledge is transferred. The more objectives you try to introduce, the longer your content will be. Ultimately, you’ll lose your audience.
  2. Use Video
    70% of Millennials visit YouTube monthly. They simply prefer video over other mediums.
  3. Production Quality Matters
    Technology has made it so nearly everyone has the ability to create video – whether it’s on a smartphone, tablet, a professional camera, or a GoPro. But bad video can take away from good content. It doesn’t take much to enhance your video quality without spending a lot of money. Try using natural light from a window, shoot in a quite room, and set up your camera slightly above your eye level. If you’re looking for more tips on creating quality video, check out Wistia’s learning center.
  4. Timing is Everything
    Remember that 90-second statistic? Microlearning videos should be 4 minutes or less. Learners want to get straight to the point. When creating scripts for video, a good rule of thumb to follow is 120 words for every minute of video. Making a short, content-rich video requires the ability to self-edit. Take a good look at the content, and eliminate ALL the fluff. If your content is still longer than 4 minutes, you’re probably breaking the first commandment.
    Here are a couple of tips: First, don’t waste time in a video talking about something a learner can download and review outside of the video. Second, assume your audience is intelligent. Don’t waste time telling them how to navigate through the videos (these are tech savvy people). And please don’t talk down to them or add insincere dialogue.
  5. Prove Learning Took Place
    When you build your content, think about how you will know learning took place. Instead of just asking them to answer a couple multiple choice questions, ask them to demonstrate their knowledge. For example, if you’re teaching personal branding, you could ask learners to send a video of themselves delivering a 30-second elevator speech. This not only allows to prove learning took place, but also creates the opportunity for coaching and improvement.
    After all, learning shouldn’t be a one-time event. Instead, it should be an evolving and adaptive process that creates a unique and personalized experience for each learner.

If you can begin incorporating these 5 commandments as you venture into the world of microlearning, you’ll be in alignment with current learning trends and, more importantly, this new generation of employees.