How can microlearning improve learner engagement?

As an Instructional Designer, I revamped a struggling IT training program (for a Multi-National client) by implementing a microlearning strategy. I broke down complex topics into bite-sized modules that were easily accessible, and contextually relevant, and included elements like gamification and immediate feedback. The result? Engagement soared, real-world problem-solving improved, and a culture of continuous learning was established within the company.

Think about videos that you watch on YouTube to do tasks in everyday life. - Replace a car headlight - Install a security camera - Make a new recipe All of these videos are short and to the point. Skip the corporate lingo and show your users what to do in an easy to understand way. Edit loading time, add a good thumbnail (even a gif) that either draws their attention or accurately shows what the video is about. Keep it simple.

Microlearning has become an increasingly popular method of corporate training, and for good reason. By breaking down complex topics into bite-sized pieces, microlearning enables learners to absorb and retain information more effectively. But what if we could make learning even more engaging? What if we could turn it into a fun game that people actually want to play? Microlearning games are short, interactive experiences that offer learners a chance to test their knowledge, practice skills, and receive immediate feedback. By incorporating elements of gamification into microlearning, we can motivate learners, increase retention, and make the learning experience more enjoyable.

Can be a powerful tool for increasing learner engagement in educational and training environments. Ways to enhance learner engagement: Convenience and Accessibility: content is often delivered in various formats, such as videos, infographics, or short texts. Gamification: Incorporating elements, such as badges, points, or leaderboards, can make it more engaging and competitive, motivating learners to participate and excel.Mobile Learning: modules are well-suited for mobile devices, enabling learners to engage in short learning sessions during idle moments or while on the go.Feedback and Assessment: can include immediate feedback on assessments or quizzes, helping learners gauge their understanding and identify areas for improvement.

In my experience in K-12 education, I found that breaking down complex concepts into more manageable bites of knowledge helped students retain information and helped comprehension. It may be overwhelming for learners to learn a complex concept without the embedded breaks in the learning process.

Learners learn best when they are learning something that is just above their current knowledge level - if it is within their knowledge level, they get bored and if it is too beyond, they find it too difficult and lose interest. Microlearning addresses this is in a very effective way

Carol Dweck's research shows that engaged brains strengthen neural connections and create new pathways. Learners literally get smarter. If learners are not engaged, their brains turn off. No new connections, no strengthening. As teachers it is our calling to engage learners as we are charged with their growth!

Let's start here: Engagement is the key component to internalized learning. The 'learning' that doesn't disappear in 60 days. Our jobs as teachers (regardless of our job title) is to create an environment for our students to succeed. That is creating an environment of engagement.

Learner engagement is a measure of how much learners are interested in the process of learning. It is important for any way of learning, but especially for microlearning, which gives learners short, focused, and personalised content. Microlearning tries to get people's attention, get them excited about learning, and help them remember what they've learned in a short amount of time. Learner engagement is important because it makes sure that learners don't get distracted, bored, or overwhelmed l. It also helps people figure out how to use what they learn in their everyday lives. Several methods, such as gamification, involvement, feedback, storytelling, personalization, and social learning, can be used to get learners more involved.

When I provide a Master Training class in Venture Capital, I find it impossible to convey intricacies and nuances without an engaged learner. Engagement is the entanglement of all cognitive skills. Without engagement cognitive dissonance occurs in the mind forcing learning to become compartmentalized. Disassociated knowledge is regulated bits of echoes dissipating as faded memories. Without an associated memory no application of knowledge can be applied.

Microlearning is all about brevity. Learning content is deliberately kept short and to the point to matches learners' limited attention spans. Typically, microlearning units range from a few seconds to around six minutes in duration. Ideally, learning modules should be kept under 10 minutes. These bite-sized lessons are less overwhelming and more likely to be completed. Learners are more inclined to engage when they know the content won't consume too much of their time. This brevity ensures that learners can easily fit these lessons into their busy schedules.

As the human attention span is less than that of a goldfish (appx. 8.5 seconds for a human and 9 seconds for a goldfish) - you have to break things into digestible nuggets. Use multiple methods of delivery (i.e. video, audio/auditory, written, kinesthetic) you then also appeal to all the styles of learning.

Microlearning can be especially beneficial for time-poor adult learners, who are often interested to self-develop but need that extra incentive or push to actually start. These are people who've started a dozen courses on Coursera or LinkedIn Learning but never completely finished even one. Smaller, bite-sized courses with clear learning outcomes and simple assessments to check for understanding will help to retain engagement and reduce program attrition.

The immediate feedback part of microlearning is extremely valuable. It reinforces the lesson, gives crucial adjustments needed, and most importantly provides the student with encouragement and motivation. The long-term positive effects of these elements cannot be overstated. When setting a learner up for success, the immediate feedback is a foundation. Perhaps THE foundation.

In today's fast-paced world, attention spans are limited, and learners are more inclined to seek quick, digestible information. Microlearning offers bite-sized lessons that learners can easily consume, often within 5-6 minutes for each unit. This format reduces cognitive overload, caters to on-the-go learning, and offers immediate gratification, which keeps learners motivated. Additionally, the modular nature of microlearning enables easy repetition and reinforcement, fostering a more engaging experience.

To create engaging microlearning content, keep it concise, focused on one key concept, and use interactive elements like scenarios or quizzes. Make it visually appealing with images or videos, and ensure it's accessible on various devices. Encourage self-assessment and reflection, and provide immediate feedback. Personalize content when possible. Keep updates regular to ensure relevance. In essence, make it bite-sized, interactive, visually stimulating, and learner-centric for maximum engagement.

Know your student(s). Know their likes, interests, background, and culture. "Yes", it will take time, but the benefits for your students is unparalleled. The benefits for you, as their teacher, is unequaled fulfillment.

Learning will not be as effective without relevance and authenticity for the learner. When designing, how can you hook the learner with a connection to their life or real life? What meaning does this content have for the learner? Instructors need to be intentional about answering these questions and incorporating these ideas into the content, process, product, and/or environment.

Many of the items in this paragraph look like they are taken straight from e-learning texts I have read. I’m not saying the AI plagiarized, but the similarities are obvious. That said. I think it should be pointed out at this point that each micro-learning “course” should align with, and preferably complete, a single well-defined course objective regardless of the modalities use for engagement.

I understand that there should be more efforts to improve microlearning content. It is the basis of online learning in the 21st Century.

To measure learner engagement in microlearning, consider a mix of quantitative and qualitative data aligned with goals and outcomes. Track learner behaviors and interactions, and use analytics and dashboards to visualize data and identify areas for improvement.

With the immediate feedback microlearning provides, the measurement of the learners engagement is obvious to both the student and the teacher. This opens a terrific opportunity for discussion, direction, and dedication.

The first sentence is circular. It should be restructured, in my opinion. Engagement is measurable by the completion rates and the learner reactions survey. However deep learning (Kirkpatrick’s levels 3 and 4) require follow-up. These should not forgotten in the overall curriculum strategy.

There are different types of microlearning, including pensive for critical thinking, performance for skills development, persuasive for behavior change, post-instruction to reinforce learning, practice for ongoing application, and preparatory for preparing learners for larger courses or workshops. Don't feel limited to using just one type of microlearning. In many cases, combining different types can lead to more effective learning outcomes. For example, you can start with a persuasive microlearning module to introduce a new behavior, then follow up with performance-based microlearning to develop the necessary skills, and finally, use post-instruction microlearning to reinforce and sustain the learning over time.

One type of microlearning is just-in-time learning that can be called up exactly when needed. While Internet literate workers can often find needed resources with a quick search, they will probably not earn academic or CE credit for such informal learning. A large corporation or government entity, however, with well defined job categories and skill requirements could theoretically match required job competencies with microlearning assessments and learning objectives in a large integrated curriculum and HR database. Learning success could then be a major component of job advancement. It would take a large publisher to provide regularly updated suites of content and assessment tools.

We're currently working in the personalised microlearning space that tailors specific content to the learner. This isn't repackaging off the shelf information or courses but directly addressing questions or concerns the learner has in a microlearning format.