With micro-content on the rise, there has been greater attention given to the concept and why it resonates with today’s learner.

We live in a world of instant answers and not-so-original questions.

When we want to know something we generally go to Google or YouTube and ask our question, read or watch the answer, and then get on with our day. This is how we learn. Whether we retain that information is up for debate, but that is where micro-content courses attempt to bridge the gap.

Where e-learning brought us convenience to learn at our own pace, micro-content brings us this same convenience but in less time. Short snippets of information that is accessible anywhere, anytime.

In many cases, the perceived value of micro-content is higher than traditional e-learning methods. Learners get access to easily “digestible” content whenever they need it. If they have an issue or a question then their library of micro-courses probably has the answer. As opposed to traditional e-learning courses that can last an hour or more, micro-content doesn’t fight against the average person’s productivity but instead it makes them more productive.

This brings up another important point in how micro-content is organized. Having a library of bite-sized lessons (to be taken in any order) is a method that is quite conducive to this form of teaching. Knocking out a few lessons “on the go” is a lot easier than dedicating an hour watching (or reading) course content. Inevitably there will be distractions. A new email. The score of the game you missed the night before. The trending news stories. Micro-content doesn’t fall victim as easily to our short attention spans, and therefore can make it quite effective.

Essentially the rise in micro-content is leveraging how people live on a day-to-day basis. We have a question so we ask Siri or do a quick Google search. Organizations would do well to take existing learning content and make it consumable in a similar manner. Not every course can be in a micro-content format, but just the same not every course needs to be in a traditional structure.