Microlearning - An Approach Towards Meeting The Needs Of Modern Learner

When we talk about learning at workplace, the goal is simple; to become better with what we do each day. The concept of microlearning emerged with the need to embrace the power of small learning moments to meet customized needs of all. Delivery of bite-sized content is transforming the digital landscape for learning & development organizations. Microlearning supports just-in-time learning by providing the right information at the right time without any hassle. It can be delivered in the form of interactive videos, text or games; or graphically as infographics and animations. The use of instructional graphics helps to reduce the amount of text, while a short animated video can explain the entire concept more succinctly than writing detailed instructions.

Emergence of mobile technologies have reshaped the way information is accessed; leading to increased learning efficiency and employee retention. In today’s accelerated pace of business, more demand is placed on workforce to perform better. Traditional training methods are not sufficient for employees to gain knowledge and competency to stay ahead of the curve. Microlearning empowers just-in-time learning, by providing the right content at the right time. For instance, a nurse may need to recall the process on how to use a medical device in hospital, reviewing the key guidelines in a 2-3 minutes presentation. Several features when added to e-courses make microlearning influential for learners aswell as educators:

  v  Be concise and targeted

Micro content is delivered in the form of 2-3 minutes self-contained concepts that are targeted to cater to individual learning needs. Learning in the form of chunks aligns with how the human brain works, thereby improving learner retention and performance.

  v  Provide intuitive access to content

As bite-sized content is best accessible on mobile devices, desktop use is equally important. Quick access means imparting digestible as well as intuitive content, which is easy to use at the point of need. Classroom training materials are not easily available, therefore providing access via cloud is a feasible solution.

  v  Deliver in different formats

Content is provided in different flexible formats across multiple mobile devices (tablets and smartphones) to address diverse learning styles and preferences.

Increasing demands of modern workforce to access precise and informal style of learning leave a significant impact on how training is delivered and supported. Incorporating microlearning as part of the organization's learning methodology can help learners build, sustain, retain knowledge, and keep them more competent and engaged at workplace.

Reference: https://think.storage.googleapis.com/images/micromoments-guide-to-winning-shift-to-mobile-download.pdf