How Microlearning Is Revolutionizing Learning Management Systems

Viren Kapadia June 14, 2023

Among the latest trends in modern learning, microlearning is beneficial for both organizations and learners. With shorter learning material, microlearning in learning management systems can improve knowledge retention among learners. In this guide, we will understand how microlearning is revolutionizing learning management systems.

The Evolution of Learning Management System

Since their inception in the 1980s, learning management systems (LMS) have evolved from "standalone" desktop applications to more feature-rich applications facilitating efficient learning. That said, let's granularly understand the concept of traditional LMS and modern LMS – along with some of their advantages and disadvantages.

Traditional LMS

A traditional LMS operates as a software that delivers knowledge through a formal course structure. It's only available on the desktop, and most of its reports are restricted to tracking course completion and test scores.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Traditional LMS

Here are some of its advantages:

Effective and user-friendly
Time-savings thanks to easy access to learning material
Easy to manage

Here are some of its disadvantages:

Focused on course material instead of the student
Accessible only through desktops
One-size-fits-all approach for all students

Modern LMS

A modern LMS enables a more effective learning environment by providing learning resources in different formats. These systems are easily accessible on any device, including desktops, mobile phones, and tablets. Besides training courses and test scores, a modern LMS enables advanced reports in the form of social learning, course certificates, and question analytics.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Modern LMS

Here are some of the benefits of a modern LMS

Improves learner engagement via online quizzes, gamification, and interactions
Improves the retention of important concepts
Facilitates mobile learning, which allows learners to attend courses from remote locations
Effectively tracks training milestones and areas of improvement

Here are some of its disadvantages:

High administrative costs
Requires technical skills

What Is Microlearning?

As the term suggests, microlearning is all about learning in smaller steps. This means adopting an approach where new information is delivered in smaller chunks at any given time. More profoundly, microlearning features short-term classes, projects, and activities that provide learners with "bits" of information. Typically, every microlearning session lasts for around 10 minutes.

Characteristics of Microlearning

Here are some of the essential characteristics of microlearning:

It is Short

There is no fixed duration of a microlearning session. It depends on the learner's needs and the organizational objectives. It is characterized as a short burst of learning used to introduce a new concept or reinforce an existing one.

It is Accessible

Microlearning content is always accessible to online learners. This means learners can access it on their mobile phone or any other device. Microlearning also means on-demand content, where the learner does not have to wait for the next training session.

It is Focused

This means that every microlearning unit answers a specific question or meets a specific learning objective. It does not provide a general overview or address a broad range of objectives.

It Provides Digestible Pieces of Information

Microlearning is structured as bite-sized modules that are easily digestible for learners. Each module is informative and interesting to grasp, even for slow learners.

Advantages of Microlearning

Here are some of the benefits of microlearning for learners and businesses:

Better Knowledge Retention

As microlearning delivers bite-size chunks of information, learners are more likely to learn and retain the imparted knowledge. Online learners can also choose the pace of learning depending on their needs and preferences.

Cost Efficiency

Microlearning is more cost-effective for organizations than conducting formal training sessions for employees. Microlearning material is also more cost-efficient than creating a complete online training course material.

Need-Based Support

With microlearning on their devices, corporate employees can access learning modules whenever they need them the most to complete their work. This ensures better work efficiency.

Addressing Knowledge Gaps

Using microlearning, employees can immediately address any knowledge gap by referring to a specific learning module. They no longer have to attend an entire course module or a training session.

How Microlearning Differs from Traditional Learning

Here is how microlearning differs from traditional learning:

	Microlearning	Traditional learning
Duration	Smaller nuggets of information at a given time	Longer classroom-based training or learning modules
Availability	Learners can undergo training according to their available time and aptitude.	Traditional learning requires learners to take time off from their daily work.
Resources	Requires lesser resources in the form of instructors, training material, and facilities.	Highly resource-intensive as it requires dedicated time from assigned trainers.
Knowledge retention	Learners can repeat microlearning sessions multiple times for higher knowledge retention.	Learners are required to absorb and retain knowledge from a single training session.
Customization	Microlearning sessions can be customized to the learner’s preferences and learning abilities.	Lack of customization as learning sessions are directed at a larger audience.

Benefits of Microlearning in Learning Management Systems

Enhanced Flexibility

Microlearning in learning management systems offers more flexibility in line with organizational needs. It is accessible on any personal device at any time or from any location.

Improved Retention

As per the Forgetting curve, learners forget 90% of their learning within a week. Microlearning improves knowledge retention by reducing mental fatigue and enabling learning in smaller manageable chunks.

Increased Engagement

According to a learning engagement survey, 58% of learners would use LMS if the content was broken into multiple shorter units. Microlearning units are short and targeted, thus improving employee engagement levels.

Reduced Cognitive Load

Microlearning reduces cognitive load as learners spend limited time on their training courses. This means learners can learn more in the same duration without any cognitive stress.

Cost-Effectiveness

Microlearning is cost-effective for organizations as they can develop shorter learning courses quickly. Besides, organizations do not need to spend any money on classroom training or incur any business expenses.

Best Practices for Creating Microlearning Content

How can organizations create engaging content for their microlearning platform? Here are some of the best practices:

Focus on the learning experience

Any microlearning program is successfull only when it delivers value to learners. Apart from user-friendliness, organizations can elevate learning experiences using the gamification tool that can capture the learner’s attention.

Adopt a personalized approach

Personalized learning involves online assessments, activities, and content that meet the individual learner’s needs. Among the best practice, adopt a personalized approach by identifying knowledge gaps in each learner and providing them with a performance feedback.

Design an individual development plan

Apart from personalization, organizations must identify learner’s KPIs to measure the effectiveness of their microlearning programs. For instance, what was the impact of implementing a new learning technology or platform on specific learner KPIs?

Tips for Integrating Microlearning into Your LMS

Here are some effective tips for integrating microlearning into your LMS:

Deliver microlearning content on the mobile phone
Use gamification to make your microlearning content more interesting
Utilize interactive tools like simulations to impart training on a specific topic
Choose the right LMS platform that supports microlearning

Overcome Learner’s cChallenges and pain points withof Implementing Microlearning in LMS

Microlearning can overcome some of the common challenges or pain points of learners. Here are some of these challenges:

Lack of learning engagement

Among the pain points, learners are not fully engaged in traditional training activities. This has a direct impact on their skill development and knowledge retention. With its self-paced learning approach, microlearning addresses this challenge directly.

Adapting to a remote working model

Remote working (or work from home) has had a positive and negative impact on employees. Both companies and employees are now more technology dependent to stay motivated and engaged with their work. Microlearning eliminates challenges with remote working with its mobile friendliness and self-paced learning approach.

The Future of Microlearning in Learning Management Systems

Current Trends in Microlearning

Interactive sessions in the form of an online quiz or contest are a popular trend in the microlearning domain. There's also an increasing inclination towards mobile learning to accommodate on-the-go learning experiences. The inclusion of microlearning programs in learning management systems is also soaring, thanks to easy accessibility and consumption of bite-sized content.

Predictions for the Future of Microlearning in LMS

Microlearning is projected as the "future of learning" for enterprises. Learning experts believe that organizations must think "small" when it comes to delivering training content. So, going forward, the focus will be on delivering engaging, efficient, relevant, and timely learning experiences - all while ensuring affordability and seamless accessibility.

Potential Impact of Microlearning on the Education Industry

Besides the business domain, microlearning in education will have a positive influence. For instance, higher education institutions can adopt microlearning to deliver online courses efficiently, ensure just-in-time learning support, introduce adaptability to evolving tech landscape, and personalize learners' experiences.

Conclusion

In this article, we have explored how microlearning in LMS can facilitate improved learning and knowledge retention. As this space evolves, more and more organizations will find it viable to leverage microlearning initiatives to upskill their workforce.

As an industry leader in Learning Management Systems, Gyrus has a successful track record in delivering customer success and innovation. With our “customer-first” mindset, we deliver the unique value of an innovative and learning mindset for our clients. Our LMS are customized to suit the specific learning requirements of every corporate entity & individual. Our cloud-based LMS is designed to support scalability and growth potential of every growing business. Along with user-friendly LMS features, you can benefit from our round-the-clock technical support services. Connect with us to learn more about how we can help.

FAQs

How can microlearning be integrated into a learning management system?

You can use an integrated LMS like Gyrus to integrate microlearning content and deliver it to your employees.

How have organizations measured the results of microlearning implementations?

Organizations can measure the performance and results of their microlearning implementation using employee satisfaction KPIs like engagement rate, rate of likes and dislikes, and overall learning sentiment.