Microlearning is learning content, delivered in a small chunks to address a clearly-identified gap in knowledge, skills or attitudes (KSAs). To define microlearning more clearly: it is usually in a portable or easy-access format (handout, mobile doc, Articulate slides, common app).
👉 Corporate microlearning is the granola-bar of training and development: a short and sweet but substantive snack; conveniently packaged, easy to distribute and quickly consumable.
Unforgettable Snacks? The psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus developed the “forgetting curve,” which was a complex series of experiments and equations about memory. While it’s a complicated stat, one figure from the Ebbinghaus forgetting curve is that the information starts fading within 20 minutes; even if someone memorizes the content word-for-word. So even if an employee learns a process by heart at the end of an evening skills training, some of it’s already gone before they get home!
By giving a learner less to learn, microlearning courses encourage better memory retention. That’s one big way that the compact, on-demand, bullseye-specific practice of microlearning modules works. But there are many other effective elements to it. In this article we’ll look at these short bursts of focused practice, microlearning videos, and various training insights that keep learners engaged.
Types of Microlearning - by Format and Medium
Short digital content or hardcopy handout: training insights can come from a PDF, an interactive but small flowchart that’s accessible by browser, a QRC (quick reference card) and more. Example: the “wrist coach”/playbook a quarterback wears to know the play action.🏈
Short videos: a quick video can be a standalone job aid for simple viewing, or it can instruct the learner in an interactive task. Example: a three-minute video showing an onboarder at a financial services firm how to set up and log in to their company email. Short videos are among the most effective microlearning examples.
FAQ sites: FAQ sites are the ultimate on-demand examples of microlearning. An example could be a webpage on the company intranet; what were the “A.B.C.’s of customer service again”? That sort of thing.
Short eLearning courses: Brief eLearning courses can be interactive and are an effective way to deliver information-rich content. Example: an Articulate module for compliance training on signing out the keys to a forklift at a warehouse. It might have four frames and a fill-in-the-blank last section.
What Are the Benefits of Microlearning?
Saving time is a universal benefit in any workplace, but corporate microlearning has many other advantages besides brevity. The benefits of microlearning include employee engagement, less demand on attention spans, and a default better rate of how to retain information.
Enhanced Memory Retention
This happens in two ways. 1) Only one small, discrete item within a knowledge, skill or attitude can be addressed in one module. By simple volume, that makes it easier to remember. 2) five to ten minutes means only the most essential key concepts of the solution can be squeezed in: important problem –> exact solution –> the end. This is one way microlearning in corporate training can improve memory retention.
Employee Engagement
Microlearning sessions are going to be done by the employee, not for the employee. Right there, we see an ownership element. A key principle of adult education is that it relies heavily on internal motivation, and microlearning is basically always on the learner’s own schedule or is as needed. When they’re internally motivated to get it done, employees are more likely to do it, which will definitely boost engagement. Corporate microlearning is therefore one of the strongest ways to keep learners engaged and increase overall employee engagement.
Corporate Microlearning Is Incredibly Flexible
It’s flexible for the company designing it; a four-minute video or six different slides are not major time investments. Microlearning strategy is also flexible for the demanding schedules that employees might have. A parent actually can meaningfully read, learn, and internalize a three-page PDF during the half-time of their daughter’s evening volleyball game.
Scalable
How do you measure ROI in microlearning? One thing we can say for sure is that the initial costs won’t be high since it requires fewer resources. The small size also means you can create multiple microlearning modules instead of one big, long course. Regarding the latter, that class size is limited by getting everyone into the same room, but microlearning in corporate training scales more easily.
On-Demand
One key attribute used to define microlearning is that it’s on-demand. Employees are going to look for it when they need it, making such trainings uniquely relevant. On-demand access to microlearning courses can help employees retain information and apply key points directly on the job.
What Are The Disadvantages Of Microlearning?
Microlearning in corporate training is—not to put too fine a point on it—a “hack.” Bigger, more complex topics or highly consequential tasks like OSHA-related safety compliance training—stuff that doesn’t fit a shortcut—are usually not suited to corporate microlearning.
Potential fragmentation: It’s great for things that can go together as distinct lessons or modules. Think of the classic magazine design rather than a book. A book has progressing chapters but in a magazine, there are quality standalone articles still within a broader idea or topic. You don’t have to read all of them to understand just one.
Not suited for complex systems: Does the training gap involve multi-step equipment operations? Does it involve regulatory frameworks or compliance? There’s simply too much relevant information to put into microlearning. Even if it was broken into numerous tiny modules, microlearning modules—by design—have little or no overlap. In such cases, in depth training is required.
Not suited for bedrock skills: Think of the instruction manuals that come with a ceiling fan. They won’t teach someone how to be an electrician. Likewise, microlearning examples are for tasks or skills within an established body of knowledge or for something universally intuitive. Complex topics that require in depth training are not suitable for this format.
Required training or remedial skills: On-demand and at your own schedule is great. Still, sometimes, training in the workplace needs to happen regardless of buy-in. It’s essential to consider how necessary the training is and how motivated your particular learners will be to do it.
7 Best Practices For Incorporating Microlearning in Corporate Training
Thinking of designing your own “granola bar” recipe? It could even be another type of snack, but it needs to be small, easily distributed, quickly consumable and sweet but not too sweet. Examples of microlearning are suddenly a little harder than we thought at first. Don’t fret, Roundtable Learning’s award-winning workplace skills and strategy team has some training insights and key points.
Zero in On One Learning Objective
Microlearning in corporate training is outcome-based. What one (maybe two if they’re small) knowledges, skills or attitudes do you genuinely need employees to retain information on and then use to change something?
Naturally, Keep it Short
Most sources say we can define microlearning modules as between 5 and 10 minutes (or shorter). For written or spoken content, keep word counts in mind. People silently read at 238 words per minute in English on average, so shoot for 150 words per minute so everyone can keep up. 150 wpm is also a good calculation for spoken content. Short bursts of training keep attention spans from wandering.
The Right Format
Design with the task and the audience in mind. Consult at least a few people in the given field about whether your training is best as a PDF handout, microlearning videos, an Articulate mini-module or something else.
Make It Super-Easy to Find and Access
Mobile learning is an excellent option for microlearning in corporate training just not if they have to install a dodgy app (if using an app, go for established ones) or use a dodgy browser plug-in. Can someone easily access and begin the lesson within 90 seconds? That is a good starting point.
Related Tasks: 👍 Overlapping Tasks: ❌
A key way to define microlearning is that training materials are enclosed in a single, short entity. Modules or training insights can be clumped together within a broader topic, but they cannot stack on each other or overlap. Think of the magazine design.
Hard Skills Over Soft Skills (with Some Exceptions)
Tasks or subtasks with a beginning and an end are ideal examples of microlearning. That straightforward nature means soft skills—with some exceptions—are better suited to other modalities. However, something like short customer service processes can work. Plus, there’s always room for some L&D ingenuity.
Evaluate and Adjust
Include some way to test what the employee learned— such as short quizzes—or evaluate their performance afterward at the given task. Doing both ensures learners engaged with the content and actually retain information.
Could Microlearning Work For Your Employees?
Microlearning strategy means identifying essential but shrinkable solutions to employee skills gaps. From there, you could answer: how do you measure ROI in microlearning? If you’re mapping your next wave of updates, consider micro-assets as the default. A good microlearning strategy starts small, requires fewer resources, and delivers measurable results to boost engagement and sustain attention spans.
Key Takeaways (Or Microlearning² for this Blog)
Definitions
- Short, focused training that delivers one piece of knowledge
- Designed for quick reference and tied to a single outcome
- Packaged in quick, portable formats like microlearning videos, handouts, or micro-modules
- Goals: fast consumption, strong memory retention, and immediate on-the-job application
Types of Microlearning – by Format and Medium
- Job aids, short videos, FAQs, microlearning modules, SOPs, short quizzes, five-minute slide show, and more
What Are the Benefits?
- Possible faster recall, higher employee engagement, and reduced training time
- Scales easily across teams, flexible for both learners and designers
- Small size means consistent processes, and updates require fewer resources to update
What Are The Disadvantages?
- Less effective for complex topics or foundational training
- High-stakes safety or compliance training often requires in depth training instead
7 Best Practices For Incorporating Microlearning in Corporate Training
- Zero in on one, maybe two learning objectives
- Keep it short
- Choose the right format for the task, the topic and the learning styles
- Make it easy to find and to access
- Multiple microlearnings work for related tasks but not overlapping ones
- Microlearning is best for hard skills but there are a few exceptions
- Test and refine your microlearning