Without a doubt, microlearning is a necessary strategy when it comes to the creation of online training courses. There are two important statistics that will prove why this is true.
According to experts, employees only have 20 minutes each week for learning. This is mostly true if they are overwhelmed with a lot of responsibilities. They cannot go longer because the more time they spend away from work would make things a little more stressful for them.
Apart from that, we all know that employees cannot go without training for long. This is especially true for Millennials. Apparently, Millennials value the development of their skill more than the financial reward that they get from their work. It is one of the reasons why they choose to stay with their employer.
These two statistics prove just how important microlearning is when it comes to corporate training initiatives. But then again, what is the best way for you to use it? Definitely, we cannot use these bite-sized courses all the time. There are courses that will require more time and not just bite-sized information. You need to recognize when microlearning should be used to train employees in the workplace.
There are three important microlearning strategies that can help make your training program successful and effective.
To prepare learners
Microlearning can be a great tool to help condition the minds of learners before the real course begins. It can be used to help motivate the learners about the lesson. Or it can be used to remind them about the importance of the course. These short courses can be used to establish the scenario that led to the need for new knowledge and skills. This can be done through a short video or even an infographic. It can be even be done in an engaging and interactive way – like asking a series of questions. If you want the learners to feel excited about a lengthy course, this is the best strategy for you to use.
To deliver single performance concepts
Microlearning can also be used to deliver single performance concepts. Employees retain information better if they do not suffer from cognitive overload. This is why you should consider dividing long courses into shorter ones and deliver them in installments. It will help the learners rest and relax their mind before diving into another set of lessons. Of course, not all training courses are long. If you have a single concept to discuss that can improve the performance of the workers, then microlearning is the best way to deliver that. If anything, it will help the learners focus on one skill or concept at a time.
To reinforce past lessons
Finally, you can use microlearning to reinforce a completed training course. It can serve as a refresher course – like an infographic that summarizes the lesson. This can be something that the learners can use to remind them of what they learned. Of course, the course can come in the form of a video. This will be useful when they need a reference to the new concept, skill or knowledge that they just learned.
As you can see, these three microlearning strategies can prove to be useful if you want to take your online training courses to the next level. Hopefully, it will not only successfully train employees. Instead, it will also help instill a love of learning in them so they can initiate the pursuit of their own personal development.