What Is Microlearning, And How Can You Implement It?
In What Is Microlearning? Everything You Need To Know: Part 1, I explored how microlearning started, the types of microlearning, and the benefits it can bring. In this article, I discuss how long microlearning should be and how to incorporate it into your corporate training program.
How Long Is Microlearning?
The simple answer is that microlearning should be as long as the learner's attention span. This will vary based on your target audience, but there are some general rules to consider.
1. Most Microlearning Content Is Under 10 Minutes
The general rule of thumb for microlearning is that each lesson should be less than 10 minutes. If you can't fit the entire lesson within 10 minutes, then see how you can divide it into smaller lessons. There are likely ways to divide the topic even further so you can do so.
Exceptions To The 10-Minute Rule
While you usually want to keep microlearning lessons under 10 minutes, this isn't always possible. But the exceptions are rare. One of these exceptions would be for a highly technical subject, such as cybersecurity. Depending on the technical nature of the topic, you may not be able to easily divide it into bits. Perhaps there simply isn't a good dividing point. Or maybe the learning just won't go smoothly with a gap in it.
But before you create content that is longer than 10 minutes, make sure that it can't be divided up. You should have a very good reason to keep longer content together.
2. 30 Minutes Is the Maximum, Even For Technical Topics
If you are certain that the topic can't be divided without negatively affecting learning, then you still want to keep it as short as possible. While you can make the lesson longer than 10 minutes, 30 should be the absolute maximum.
3. Keep Your Learners In Mind
When deciding if your topic can go past the 10-minute mark, carefully consider your learners. Think about how long they want to sit through a lesson. You hopefully already have data from them about their preferences. Keep this data in mind and stick to their preferred time limit.
How To Create Microlearning From Scratch?
Creating microlearning from scratch can seem daunting if you are doing it for the first time. Start by looking at the big picture to understand what you want to cover in your microlearning course. Put together an outline with the estimated time it will take you to deliver the material. Then, break it down into smaller easier to digest chunks. You can then script the individual microlearning videos [1] to help you prepare for filming your content.
How To Incorporate Microlearning Into Corporate Training?
Many of our clients wonder if there is a difference between eLearning and microlearning training programs [2]. Although microlearning is one of the types of eLearning methods for corporate training, eLearning and microlearning aren't identical. We've seen the best engagement rates with microlearning courses, and we recommend incorporating microlearning into your corporate training for that very reason.
1. Have A Goal
When it comes to incorporating microlearning in your corporate training, the first step is to have a clear goal in mind as to what the program aims to achieve. We prefer to think about these not as learning objectives but as milestones that your Learners go through to accomplish a goal. When employees know what they should achieve, they'll be able to complete targeted learning more successfully.
2. Make It Accessible
Learning isn't and shouldn't be limited to office premises. Thanks to the advancements in the digital world, information is now available everywhere—and that's how people prefer to access it as well. The world has gone mobile, and it's about time that learning does too. With any microlearning module, it is important that it is available when the learner wishes. You can successfully motivate learners to go through the modules in the comfort of their homes or on their way to work.
3. Make Use Of Design
Design is a powerful tool—one that many people underestimate. People are visual learners and are able to grasp and retain visual information faster and in a more effective manner. The beauty of colors, shapes, graphs, images and even videos is that they make the whole corporate microlearning training program highly encouraging for users.
4. Communicate Well
The key to disseminating any information is how effectively one is able to communicate and present it. With microlearning, the short informational pieces help with developing a strong connection between learners and the eLearning courses you create. It also helps to create a learning culture in your organization that will benefit your employees and management by increasing revenue and reducing losses.
5. Organize And Analyze
A big part of delivering a microlearning corporate training program is to develop a coherent structure of the learning content. Corporate training is an important part of any organization's internal communication strategy, and with microlearning, the strategy gets a significant boost. Microlearning splits information about the training program into easy-to-understand, bite-sized modules. While developing the program, it is essential to stay organized and arrange the modules with a logical flow that makes sense to the reader. After organizing the program, the next step is to analyze the efficiency and organizational structure.
Conclusion
Although you can develop a microlearning program for your corporate training with your internal resources, sometimes it makes sense to delegate the work to a top eLearning provider for microlearning. Not every team has an instructional designer who knows how to use an LMS or an authoring tool to develop effective microlearning.
References
[1] How to Script a Microlearning Video: The Easiest Way
[2] eLearning vs. Microlearning: What Are the Differences?
Originally published at www.e-learningpartners.com.
