Microlearning In 2017: Why It Should Be At The Top Of Your Learning Agenda This Year
There once was a time where individuals would choose a career, acquire an opening level position, and work their way up to the top. This is not the reality today. Not only is post-secondary education not enough to get one through an entire career, but many recent post-secondary graduates aren't satisfied with a slow climb up the corporate ladder. No industry has gone untouched through the technological transformation of the last three decades, and who knows how long it will continue? The result is an ever-present need for further education.
Managers across the world seem to be asking the same questions: How can we efficiently train up our employees, matching the consumption habits of the increasingly millennial workforce?
Furthermore, how do we keep them satisfied and invested in our organizations? There are many speculations regarding the cause of this new generational difference in corporate culture. What is perhaps more enlightening is data that shows what works.
In the last decade or more, people have been turning to eLearning to answer these concerns. Moreover, multiple studies have shown that microlearning is proving to be most efficient way to effectively impart up to date information to your team.
Here are the top 10 reasons why more companies than ever are moving to digital microlearning in 2017.
1. Relevance
As previously mentioned, many industries are ever-expanding. Globalization has led to generation of what seems to be an overwhelming amount of new data, and it can be difficult for any professional to keep up. The targeted curriculum produced in microlearning makes it easy to keep up to date, and stay informed on the most relevant topics. eLearning providers work hard to ensure your employees are appraised to the most recent and up to date information.
2. Flexibility
Α digital format offers users the opportunity to complete courses wherever they see fit – in transit, in bed, wherever. Today's young professionals value their personal time. Research is showing that the more control they have over the setting of their learning, the more effective it is. For example, the ability for someone suffering from social anxiety to avoid a classroom, or for a mother or father to complete a course while in the presence of their family, would greatly increase their motivation to engage with the content.
3. Loyalty
It is widely accepted that an employee who feels they've been invested in is likely to be more loyal. More individual opportunities to learn are more effective in producing the satisfaction and pride an employee feels when these opportunities are presented. For this reason, microlearning is ideal.
4. Achievement
We all like to feel that we’ve accomplished something. Completing two or three microlearning courses feels a lot better than being halfway through one long term course that takes up a significant amount of time. Employees will feel closer to the next step in their career when they've reached these landmarks.
5. Rapid Authoring
The nature of micro-lessons mean that content can be authored a lot quicker than in that of legacy eLearning. This means that instructional designers can respond to new trends faster, and create more lessons in a shorter space of time, compared to other methods. Combining this with the ease of completion, this creates a truly rapid and responsive learning experience.
6. Cost Effectiveness
Digitally learning is known to be less expensive, and on a micro level even more so. This applies to the organization as well as the student. There is little to no commute involved, rarely are there print texts, and overhead costs are almost nil in comparison to traditional learning methods (not to mention time saved in working hours, which would have previously been spent in the classroom).
7. Learner Retention
Many digital learning platforms provide a social aspect. Reviews as well as studies have reported that this, as well as flexibility of time and location, result in more graduates of microlearning programs. Universities and colleges across North America see alarming drop-out rates. Students who encounter obstacles but feel they are nearing completion of a program are more likely to continue.
8. Successful Learning
Studies have shown that small bursts of information are more easily held in the memory, especially when put to use closely after having learned it. The structure of micro-lessons allows for learners to experience these bursts of information with immediate reinforcement, typically conducted through the use of interactive questions. This lesson format produces significantly higher retention than that of other learning formats.
9. Enhanced Focus
Individuals can only maintain focus for certain quantities of time depending on many factors. The delivery of knowledge within a microlearning format ensures that learners can complete content while maintaining optimal attention levels for high retention.
10. Ease Of Participation
With less of a time commitment required for lesson completion, employees who are time-poor can participate in lessons without interrupting their busy work schedules. This also means that education conducted via microlearning is less disruptive to the work day, and therefore fits seamlessly into employees schedules.
Final Word
One thing that this list neglects to mention is that each individual has different learning styles. By offering digital microlearning opportunities to your employees and/or colleagues you can keep them engaged. eLearning combines reading through digital text, listening through video and audio content, discussion through social boards and chat rooms, and action through the opportunity to continue to participate and apply new information in the workplace. In this way all learning styles are addressed. As the corporate world continues to adjust to new media, digital or otherwise, research will continue to lead the way. Based on current information it would seem that digital microlearning is the most effective way to keep employees satisfied and informed in their industry.
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