Learn how to create the most impactful microlearning module.
Today’s learners are often overwhelmed with too much information. They are distracted by many priorities but at the same time need to access necessary information at points of need. Always using a long e-learning course may not be the best approach to impart effective learning among your employees. Instead, use microlearning modules to fulfill the needs of a modern learner. When you incorporate microlearning into your e-learning program, you’re able to meet the needs of your learners by providing bite-sized pieces of knowledge that are easy to digest.
Thanks to the technology available via mobile devices like smartphones, tablets and laptops, microlearning can take place anywhere and at any time. This makes any place with a WiFi connection, like a coffee shop, restaurant, or even the living room, a place for learning. Learners can access the information they need, whenever they need it, and thanks to the brevity of microlearning, the process is not at all strenuous on the mind. Microlearning modules also make it easy for designers to update or replace content to ensure it reflects the most current information.
So how do you create a microlearning module that makes the most of the short duration it has with your learner and delivers the maximum punch? Below are some ways in which you can make your micro modules stand out:
Use Videos
Boredom is the major hurdle that companies face when trying to train their employees. Which means that delivering your subject matter with standard text-heavy methods is just not going to keep people engaged even through the short duration of a micro module. Videos provide the perfect solution to this as no one gets bored while watching a video. By combining moving images with meaningful voiceovers, a video can convey a complex topic with much ease. Short videos in your microlearning modules not only manage to transfer knowledge in a fun way but also leave the users wanting for more.
Create Game-Based Learning
Games have emerged as a highly effective method to convey subject matter to your learners. Game-based learning embeds your subject matter into the gameplay. Learners simply have to play the game, while their mind sub consciously picks up on the subject matter. Games fit right into your microlearning program, as learners need to play just a few minutes every time, like a crossword puzzle to familiarize with your company’s terminology. And, since no one thinks twice before playing a game, you can be rest assured that your content will get enough repetitions to be mastered.
Use Short Simulations
Simulations are a great way to reinforce your subject matter and give learners an opportunity to use the information in a practical work environment, without the associated risks. Microlearning modules can use simulations to easily teach employees one particular skill nugget. You can use simple animation-based simulations that last for no more than a few minutes. With simulations, learning happens in a virtual emulation of the work environment, giving learners a great amount of relativity with the content.
Quick Assessments and Feedback
Microlearning is rarely used as a standalone-learning module; rather it is used as a support system for a larger e-learning program. This makes it a very good platform to conduct quick assessments for the topic conveyed in the main e-learning part. As a microlearning module will be mostly accessed on a mobile or tablet, you can move away from the conventional question-answer format and create innovative assessment strategies such as scenarios, mini games, and quizzes. Microlearning modules can also be used to gather quick feedback about the course, which learners may be averted to give after taking a long course.
Apply Social Learning
Do your learners have a question about the microlearning module they just finished? Something they don’t understand or agree with? Instead of letting such queries lie dormant, you should integrate social learning elements into your micro-program. Including a social media plugin or online collaborative tools, like Disqus or Social Comment can augment your microlearning modules in many positive ways. If you have mastered a topic and don’t need any additional help, you can even use the social platform to assist others and deepen your understanding of the topic in the process.
Microlearning is the way of the future when it comes to efficient training. If you want to ensure that your learners stay engaged and actually retain and use the information you provide them, then the way that you deliver this information is critical, and microlearning is certainly that way.
