6 Microlearning Misconceptions
Assumptions can be dangerous. We assume something about a situation or rely on preconceived notions to make important decisions, which usually forces us to miss out on valuable opportunities. This aptly applies to microlearning myths. Your organization might believe that it’s only for moments-of-need support or that it’s one-size-fits-all and won’t address the needs of your diverse team. So, it’s overlooked during every training audit and strategy meeting. Thus, your employees miss out on all the gap-bridging benefits it provides. And your company never gets to experience the cost-cutting, time-saving perks it yields. Here are 6 microlearning misconceptions that every organization needs to dispel today.
1. It Causes Unnecessary Confusion
Microlearning gets a bad rap for being disjointed or fragmented—that it causes confusion for learners because it only gives them a small piece of the puzzle. The truth is that microlearning training should be a complete learning unit. It must give employees all the essentials they need to understand the topic, thereby avoiding cognitive overload and misinformation. To achieve this, you have to break topics into bite-sized ideas or sections. For example, certain compliance tasks involve multiple steps or phases. There’s also the matter of which safety gear to wear or equipment to use. Cover every aspect of the task in a different microlearning activity to keep it simple and prevent learner confusion.
2. Bite-Sized Is Not Budget-Friendly
Who has room in their budget to develop an entire microlearning library from scratch? It’s just too expensive to implement for startups and SMBs, right? The fact is that you can develop microlearning resources with limited resources. Repurpose existing assets, incorporate third-party content, and outsource to reduce development time (and payroll). You probably already have materials you can break down into smaller chunks and add to your repository. And third-party content is readily available online. Consider video-sharing sites, online guides, and vendor resources. Lastly, outsourcing the project may seem counterproductive. But you can utilize their expertise to stretch resources and achieve faster turnaround times.
3. No Room For Personalization
You can’t personalize microlearning resources because they’re intended for a specific purpose. There’s not enough time to cater to everyone’s needs in a two-minute video. In reality, microlearning actually improves training personalization. You can develop a diverse range of activities for different preferences, goals, and learning styles. Everyone finds something in the library that suits their needs and objectives. They can even compile their own microlearning repository to fill gaps and address performance issues autonomously. This leads to a jump in employee satisfaction and confidence on the job. They know they have microlearning tools to see them through the tough spots so that they don’t have to struggle in silence or run to a manager every time they have a problem.
4. Microlearning Is Only For JIT Support
You can only use microlearning for moments-of-need support, which puts its worthiness into question. Is it really a sound investment or should you opt for another JIT approach? The truth is that microlearning is much more than a just-in-time training tool. It reinforces knowledge, refreshes employees’ memory, and supplements formal training sessions. Staffers can even train in other departments or build skills to prepare for promotions. It is not solely for JIT support. But even then, it’s worth the investment. Because your team should be able to get the guidance they need whenever they need it, and cultivating your top talent is always a viable investment.
5. You Can Simply Break Up Existing Assets
There’s nothing to it! Just upload that webinar to your rapid authoring tool, break it into bite-sized bits, and voila…you have a microlearning library. Unfortunately, there’s more involved in the microlearning creation process. It’s true, you can reuse assets to cut costs. But it requires some careful planning, training needs analysis, and employee evaluation. You also need to do some polishing to bring those resources up to date and make them easier to digest. For instance, that webinar I just mentioned may have redeeming qualities. However, you must rewatch the footage, note timestamps, and then use the authoring tool to break it down and enrich the experience, such as by adding voiceovers, images, and transitions. Bear in mind that some materials aren’t conducive to microlearning. As an example, an hour-long course may seem fragmented if you try to divide it into microlearning activities.
6. You Can Tackle Any Topic
Nothing is out of bounds. You can cover any topic or task in your microlearning resource because it’s so versatile. While it is true that microlearning training is flexible, it does have limits. More comprehensive topics may require a full-length course to cover all the nuances and related skills. For example, anti-harassment training is a sensitive topic with many facets. You can’t simply ask employees to watch a two-minute demo video or tutorial and hope for the best. You can use microlearning to reinforce what they’ve learned and provide personalized support. Keep in mind that microlearning is not a cure-all for every L&D ailment or training gap.
Conclusion
These microlearning misconceptions are just a small sampling of the myths surrounding this training topic. While some organizations swear by a bite-sized training strategy because they understand the benefits, others let preconceptions stand in the way of employee development and ongoing support. Thus, you need to sort the fact from the fiction to ensure that your organization reaps the rewards of microlearning for your top talent. You can develop bite-sized resources on a tight budget, extend it beyond JIT support, and personalize the process.
Now that those microlearning misconceptions are out of the way, use our online directory to find the ideal eLearning content provider. Search by specialization area, solutions, and industry to choose a partner who knows your niche.
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