The Benefits of a Microlearning Journey
According to Hermann Ebbinghaus, a German psychologist who pioneered the experimental study of memory, human beings forget 80% of what they’ve learned in 30 days unless there is an effort to retain it.
Ebbinghaus graphically presented his findings in the form of a “forgetting curve” (Fig. 1). Microlearning is one of the most effective eLearning strategies there is as it provides learners with short, concentrated bursts of knowledge at repeated intervals which help learners retain information and thereby prevents the “forgetting curve” from actually forming.
Fig. 1. Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve.
Microlearning has turned from being a trend in eLearning into a multi-millionaire industry just within a decade. For corporate organizations who are yet to implemented microlearning into their eLearning programs, it might seem that microlearning is hyped more than it is worth. However, microlearning is a modern day, learner-centric learning methodology designed as a just-in-time learning piece, usually in rich media formats and is compatible with multiple devices (including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones).
This article is here to guide organizations through the corporate benefits which can come from taking steps to begin their microlearning journey. Let’s have a look!
Buying And Setting Up A Responsive eLearning Authoring Tool
One of the first actual step towards beginning your microlearning journey is to buy and set up a responsive eLearning authoring tool. You cannot design microlearning without such a tool as your learners need to be able to access their microlearning modules on a variety of mobile devices like smartphones, laptops and tablets. This gives them the freedom to learn wherever they want, whenever they want to, and not necessarily on-the-job. EdApp provides users with a good authoring tool, which allows access to a vast template library filled with responsive and ready-made templates. Organizations’ unique content can be imported into these templates, making for a successful microlesson within minutes.
Creating Video-Based Microlearning
Videos are the preferred type of content for consumption of modern learners. This is because it is a combination of both visual and auditory stimuli, which makes it easier to retain. In fact, studies show that viewers retain 95% of information consumed through videos. The second step of your microlearning journey is to create content that can be easily retained, and it could not be better achieved than with videos. Video-based microlearning uses videos no longer than 3-5 minutes that can be watched quickly by learners to guide them through tasks for just-in-time training. Extra benefits of video-based microlearning include accessibility for hearing-impaired employees (through subtitles) as well as control over playback.
Providing Additional Resources For Advanced Learners
Microlearning is short, with a narrower focus on a particular topic or subject. But that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t provide resources for a broader scope of study on the topic for learners who want to do so. This way you give your learners a choice, a choice to choose how deeply they want to understand a subject or topic.
Include Interactivities Throughout Your Course
It is essential for your microlearning courses to harbor a multitude of interactivities to give your learners a more immersive learning experience. This includes simulations, drag-and-drop interactions, eLearning games, and clickable walkthroughs for learners to apply their learning. These can even act as assessments for your learners, assisting in the identification of gaps in knowledge.
Some Additional Benefits…
Because microlearning modules are so short, there is no need to enforce them on your employees more than once. They can access the same modules again and again according to their needs for just-in-time learning, for example, before a meeting or before attempting a task. They are also more cost effective than compared with traditional eLearning courses, as they are more versatile and work from a cloud-based delivery system. In addition, microlearning modules are easier and quicker to update while being of high impact, designed to meet very specific outcomes.
Microlearning opens new vistas of knowledge for learners through mobile technology, as it enables them to connect on various digital networks, platforms, and access content resources anywhere across the globe. The microlearning of today is also enriched with other eLearning strategies like gamification, social learning as well as personalized learning, which are amazing strategies for accelerated learning in themselves. We live in the era of technological advancement, indicative of the pivotal inclusion of technology in your organization’s training strategy. Various advantages come from the adoption of microlearning from the get-go. Now is the time!
If you would like to learn more about how to build the most effective employee training strategy!
If you’d like to know more about how EdApp’s mobile learning platform can help your internal training practices, get in touch at enquiries@edapp.com. You can also try EdApp’s Mobile LMS and authoring tool for free by signing up here.
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Author
Guest Author Daniel Brown
Daniel Brown is a senior technical editor and writer that has worked in the education and technology sectors for two decades. Their background experience includes curriculum development and course book creation.