How can you create microlearning modules that fit your learners' busy schedules and short attention spans?

2 Chunk your content

One of the key features of microlearning is that it breaks down complex or lengthy content into manageable and meaningful chunks. This helps your learners process and retain information better, as well as avoid cognitive overload and boredom. To chunk your content effectively, you need to identify the main topics, concepts, or steps that your learners need to know, and then organize them into logical and coherent units. Each unit should have one main idea or message, and should be self-contained and independent from other units. You can use different formats, such as text, images, audio, video, or interactive elements, to present your content in an engaging and diverse way.

3 Optimize your duration

Another key feature of microlearning is that it delivers content in short bursts of time, usually ranging from a few seconds to a few minutes. This helps your learners fit learning into their busy schedules, as well as maintain their attention and motivation. To optimize your duration, you need to consider the complexity and depth of your content, the needs and preferences of your learners, and the delivery method and platform of your modules. As a general rule, you should aim for a duration that is long enough to cover your learning objective, but short enough to avoid unnecessary details or distractions. You can also vary your duration depending on the type and level of content, and provide options for your learners to choose their own pace and sequence.

4 Incorporate feedback and assessment

Feedback and assessment are essential components of any learning experience, and microlearning is no exception. Feedback and assessment can help you reinforce learning, check understanding, provide guidance, and motivate your learners. To incorporate feedback and assessment into your microlearning modules, you need to design them in a way that is relevant, timely, and actionable. You can use different methods, such as quizzes, polls, surveys, scenarios, or gamification, to test your learners' knowledge, skills, or attitudes, and provide them with immediate and constructive feedback. You can also use analytics and data to track your learners' progress, performance, and satisfaction, and use them to improve your modules and outcomes.

5 Make your modules accessible and adaptable

The final tip to create microlearning modules that fit your learners' busy schedules and short attention spans is to make them accessible and adaptable. This means that your modules should be easy to find, use, and reuse, as well as responsive to different devices, contexts, and situations. To make your modules accessible and adaptable, you need to use a user-friendly and intuitive design, a clear and consistent layout, and a simple and concise language. You also need to ensure that your modules are compatible with different browsers, operating systems, and screen sizes, and that they can adjust to different bandwidths, locations, and preferences. You can also use metadata, tags, or categories to help your learners search, filter, and organize your modules according to their needs and interests.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?