Bite-Sized and Deep: Overcoming Shallow Microlearning to Deliver Impact

Organizations today still face the major problem of engaging employees in learning. In a 2015 survey of employee engagement, researchers found that, particularly in large corporations, engagement plateaus or declines as a company grows, due to the fast-paced environment that drives company growth. With more innovative eLearning, however, microlearning has emerged as a technological learning tool that can match the on-the-go lifestyle of contemporary corporations.

Microlearning is a way of delivering content in small and very specific bursts, usually no longer than 3-5 minutes. Often times, microlearning is self-directed in very short units, which the learners can navigate for specific information when needed. For example, a salesperson about to enter a meeting to sell a new product could complete a brief course on the product’s benefits just before the meeting. This reinforces the content needed and then immediately applies the learning objectives. This self-guided learning and accessibility to match an on-the-go workforce is what has driven microlearning to be one of the top eLearning practices in 2016 and moving into 2017.

That being said, microlearning isn’t the solution for every company. Just as it is highly effective, it is easy to have your microlearning efforts wasted on shallow lessons with little impact. If you choose to utilize microlearning, you’ll need to do so with carefully written, deep microlearning that delivers impact and change. Here are some good tips for overcoming shallow microlearning:

1. Make it matter - Before you can even begin engagement, you’ll need to take a close look at the content and the important details the content needs to convey. For example, a microlearning unit on the benefits of a new product is a great idea for sales enablement. However, if your microlearning spends 2 minutes defining the blueprints of the product, rather than why the product is revolutionary, your sales people will only learn shallow jargon that won’t contribute to a meeting. Your microlearning needs to matter in the context your team will use it.
2. Make sure it is self-directed - Your microlearning must be set up in a way that allows self-direction. If you require certain modules to be completed before learners can move on to the content they need, your team will be apathetic to the content, and all the convenience of microlearning will be eliminated. Your microlearning course library also needs to be clearly organized, with clear titles, categories, and subjects so that learners can find the support they need quickly and efficiently.
3. Make it interactive - Short doesn’t necessarily mean relaying important information in 2-3 minute videos – in fact, an interactive interface will help users retain information and apply it immediately and efficiently. Consider sales simulations, a social interface between users, or games to keep interaction high while still being brief with training.
4. Make it effortless - The entire purpose of microlearning is that it is fun and easy to access. While short, it needs to be impactful, but you cannot pack so much information in as to make it difficult to complete. Your employees choose the amount of time they put into their learning based on their availability and workload, so effortless microlearning leads to more completed units.
5. Make it supplemental - One common misconception about microlearning is that it replaces eLearning entirely, but this perspective sets your microlearning solutions up for failure. In fact, just as microlearning can be a better solution for sales and product training, it is ineffective for larger, more complex issues, like compliance and safety. Rather than replacing your eLearning with microlearning, work on creating microlearning that supplements your larger eLearning initiative. Your microlearning should be accessed for a quick refresher of content to help retain information from eLearning when it is needed the most.

At SDI Consulting, we create carefully-crafted custom eLearning and microlearning solutions that drive engagement and productivity. If you are looking to create on-the-go training or supplemental training solutions, visit sdiclarity.com for more information. For a portfolio of our microlearning solutions, or for a demo contact [email protected].